Final Project
by Enula
Summary: For a final project, the seniors are to travel to another country for a month to learn that culture. So what happens when Beck and Tori are chosen to go to the same country? Tandre, Bade, **BORI**. This story is COMPLETE.
1. Prologue

**Final Project**

**Prologue**

"_That spark of light I see in you—Baby, baby, it lifts me up, TAKES me through,_

_There is no dark space, girl…your devotion has me, KEEPS me in a daze,_

_The illumination I feel in my soul—oh yeah…fills me, CHILLS me, out of control…"_

"Enough!"

Andre was interrupted from his hallway performance by Jade as she walked, almost stomping, her way over to him and Tori. They had been sitting on the steps in the main hallway of Hollywood Arts, and Andre was playing a new awesome tune on his keyboard and singing his new song he wrote for Tori _to _Tori.

Jade stopped at the bottom of the stairs, a bored yet somehow angry expression on her face, "Why do you _always _have to write such depressing songs for?"

Tori raised an eyebrow, "You thought that song was depressing…?

"Yes…" Jade crossed her arms, "It's so mushy it's depressing."

Tori rolled her eyes, "You would say that."

Andre just laughed it off like he always did, "It's cool. I'll sing the rest to you after school, kay?"

Smiling, Tori leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "I can't wait."

It was Jade's turn to roll her eyes, "Gag me. You two should seriously consider keeping that hidden away so the world doesn't have to witness it."

"You and Beck kiss in public _all _the time!" Tori exclaimed, feeling somewhat offended. She wasn't sure why she felt that way anymore when Jade said things like that—she figured she should be used to it by now.

Jade gave her a look that stated that what she was about to say next should very well be obvious, "Yeah, but Beck and I are hot."

Tori gave a disgusted look and threw her arms out to the side, "Offended!"

Her lifelong _frenemy _smirked, "Good."

Tori hadn't even noticed, but Andre left the stairs as soon as he saw that the two girls were about to start one of their back and forth's again. He went to his locker, playing that certain tune that no one else was ever able to imitate to open it. Seeing as how Jade had already walked away, Tori walked back over to her boyfriend, "Soooo…" she began, leaning against the locker next to his, "got any plans for us after school?"

Andre smiled at her, "I thought we just made a song date."

"Okay…but what about after that?"

"Oh, believe me…" he shut his locker and played another quick tune to lock it, "after you hear the rest of it, you'll know what you wanna do."

By the playful way he said it, it made Tori blush and lead her to do her nervous habit of sticking her hair behind her ear on both sides, "I don't doubt that it is _that _good…"

They leaned in for another kiss (in which, if this were the show, the audience would do an obnoxious "_oooooo_"), but before they had time to truly enjoy it, Sikowitz almost glided past them, he was walking so fast, "One minute to class, you two poppy love bunnies!"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

**Tori Vega: Starting the day! I hope you're good, day.**

**Mood: Chill**

"_So!" _Sikowitz yelled as soon as the bell for the start of class rang, "I'm sure you all heard…"

And then he stopped and sat down on the top step of his stage. He stared at all his students with his chin in his hands. When the whole class finally realized he wasn't going to say anymore unless they coaxed him, Robbie was the first to ask: "Heard what?"

"Oh! You mean you _haven't _heard?" He perked up as if this were interesting news.

Cat semi-raised her hand, "How are we supposed to know if we've heard what you think we heard when we don't know what we heard to tell you that we heard?"

The class stared at her for a second before refocusing on their teacher.

"Anyway," Sikowitz continued as if Cat never spoke in the first place, "Hollywood Arts is trying something new this year for the seniors—which all of you are now—in gaining experience from the outside world. You know…like, beyond the walls of this school."

"We've been doing that for years now," Jade threw in, "All of us has done some sort of acting or singing job outside of school."

"He probably means that we'll actually get graded on how well we do for ourselves. It won't be just for experience," Beck added.

"Man! I always hate it when fun becomes work!" Andre complained.

Tori put in optimistically, "Well, as long as you think it's just for fun and forget about being graded…I think it'll be fun!"

Everyone nodded…except Jade. She rolled her eyes.

Sikowitz stood up and began pacing the stage with his hands behind his back. He was looking down with a concentrated expression, serious-like, as though the news was, on the contrary, not going to be fun. "This is a little more complicated than what you all think. It's not just _a grade…_it's your final project as seniors…meaning it's _a huge chunk of a grade!" _He almost yelled this while looking at all of them, before resuming his previous position and clearing his throat, "And it's not just gaining experience outside the walls of _Hollywood Arts_…it's gaining experience outside the realm of _The United States!"_

Everyone stared with blank expressions.

"See…" Sikowitz went on, sitting back down on the top step again, "I've had most of you in my acting classes the whole time you've attended Hollywood Arts. I've seen you at your worst…and at your best. I've seen you struggle…and I've seen you succeed. I've seen you want to give up…and I've seen you grow. I've seen you—."

"We _get _it!" Jade yelled, growing increasingly irritated.

Their teacher cleared his throat again, "Yes, anyway…the point is, you've all learned what you can from me, and now it's time to learn something new. Something…" He smirked a bit at his next word, "foreign."

Everyone stared with blank expressions.

Sikowitz seemed to get mad all of a sudden that no one was guessing what he was hinting at, "Oh, for Jean, Margaret, and Jaime's sake! Hollywood Arts is starting an Overseas Talent Education Review. Or…OTER," he smiled and twiddled his fingers from both hands together, "I love those fishy beaver things."

"Meaning…?" Tori inquired, making sure Sikowitz didn't stray from the subject.

"Meaning, that every senior will be sent to another country for a whole month to study the culture in order to perform a play upon their return that incorporates the true atmosphere of that country," Sikowitz concluded.

"No way!" Tori yelled, standing up to show her excitement, "That sounds like so much fun! Oh, I can't wait to see another…_good…_country," she put emphasis on the _good _to remind herself of the terrible Spring Break they all had a few years back.

"We get to pick our own countries…_right?" _Inquired Jade, almost demanding that they be able to have their own choice.

"Afraid not, Jade," Sikowitz said, "Helen informed me that she is just finishing up the list and that very list will be posted in the hallway first thing tomorrow morning."

()()()()()()()()()()

All right everyone, this is the introduction to my lil' story. A few things you should keep in mind as this story progresses: 1. The rating will more than likely go up. 2. Updating may be slow; I'm a full time college student and a single mom of a 7 month old. My days are usually pretty busy. 3. I am a fan of Tandre, I think they have that certain connection that makes them go well together; maybe it's just because they're the ones always singing together. 4. I also like Bade. They are quite interesting. 5. The "something" between Tori and Beck is also interesting. Maybe it's just how the show sets it up. We see them in a lot of love plays together, they kissed on the first episode, and they even titled an episode "Beck Falls for Tori." I mean, what are they trying to hint at here? I'm going to try to dwell into that question.

Also, within the next few chapters, I'll add more details, such as how Tori and Andre became a couple and other such things. Thanks for reading!


	2. Pairings Posted

**Final Project**

**I.**

"I just can't believe we're going to get to see another country…for free!" Tori exclaimed as her and Andre entered her house. They both threw their backpacks on the nearest couch as Tori practically skipped into the kitchen to get them a drink.

"It is pretty exciting…" Andre trailed off as he slowly followed Tori further into her home.

Tori raised an eyebrow at him as she grabbed two waters out of the refrigerator, "For some reason, I hear a large _but _at the end of that sentence."

Andre hid a small smile behind his hand, "Large _but_…now that's funny."

Rolling her eyes, she threw one of the bottles at him, Andre catching it faultlessly, "Seriously, what's the _but_ for?"

He was still smirking, "For sitting down on?" As soon as Tori gave him a look, he quickly wiped his smile away and got serious, "Sorry. Anyway, it's just…you know, we're going to be apart for a whole month."

"Aw," Tori began, flopping down on the couch nearest the kitchen, "You gonna miss me?"

Sitting down next to her, he looked a bit hurt, "You mean you're not gonna miss me?"

Tori slapped him playfully, "That's not what I meant! Of course I'll miss you…but just think of the opportunities that can come from this! You could even make a name for yourself in a totally different part of the world."

Andre took in a melodramatic breath, shakily letting it loose as he averted his gaze to the floor, "I suppose you're right…"

Tori was beginning to feel bad for being so excited over their awesome final project when Andre seemed so bummed out by it. She quickly tried to think of a way to cheer him up. Suddenly, she remembered a moment when Andre had to cheer her up and the song he made up on the spot to do so.

"Hey…" she began, scooting a little closer to him. She cleared her throat, then commenced to show her beautiful voice, "_Don't let your brown eyes turn blue_…"

Andre immediately recognized the song, his smile returning as he too remembered the time he sang his song to her.

* * *

><p>About two years ago…<p>

Tori pushed open her front door with all her might, the slam of the door hitting the back wall seeming to echo throughout the house. She tried to get her backpack off her shoulder, only to realize that the strap got slightly tangled in her shirt. Letting out an almost growl like yell, she violently tore the bag away from her and threw it across the living room. She then proceeded to pace back and forth.

Andre was right behind her, having witnessed Tori's bad attitude all day long. He calmly and gently closed the front door and didn't even dump is backpack on the floor, but rather, set it down like it was a fine piece of china. He was afraid to make any sudden movements in fear that Tori would attack him like she was a lion.

"So…now that you're home, care to tell me what's going on?" Andre started again after having failed with the question about ten times throughout the day.

"I…I don't know!" Tori yelled, still pacing, "I mean, I have no real reason to be upset! I have no right to care! I should be happy! Yes,_ happy_!" She forced a smile at Andre, which only made him take a step back because it instead made her look insane, not happy.

"Can you maybe start from the beginning?"

"_The beginning_!" She yelled, but offered nothing more.

"Um…not really sure if that was a question or a statement…" He continued to watch her pace for a moment before finally walking to her. He grabbed her by her shoulders and forced her to sit down, "You need to stop with the pacing…you're making me more nervous than my grandma makes me."

She sucked in a deep breath, looked like she was about to start rambling, but then hid her face in her hands and started to cry.

"Hey, hey…don't cry, Tori, that's not…" But it didn't seem like Tori was listening to what he had to say. Awkwardly, he watched her cry for a few minutes until it sounded like she was calming herself down. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her piano and, trusting fully in his talented ability as a song writer, he went over to it.

Effortlessly, he began to play a brand new tune he created on the spot, "_Pretty girl, you're in this condition….I don't know—your situation. Got your heart broke? Pretty girl, tell me your tears, but don't let your brown eyes turn blue…"_

Tori stopped crying long enough to listen to his song, watching him from the other side of the couch. She gave the best smile she could as she wiped at her eyes, "How do you come up with this stuff?"

He shrugged and rested his elbow on the piano, "Guess you're just an inspiration. An awesome inspiration."

She tried to keep her smile after that compliment, but instead it looked like she wanted to cry all over again. Andre noticed this and came back over to sit next to her again, "So now you wanna tell me what's going on?"

The look she gave him blatantly said she didn't, but was willing to, "Beck and I almost kissed."

"What, today? But I thought—."

Tori cut him off by holding up her hand. She didn't want him to end the sentence the way she knew he would: with "Beck and Jade were back together."

"This happened about a week ago….right before the Platinum Music Awards. You know…before today, when they all of a sudden got back…" she trailed off.

Andre saw how much she was hurting, so he didn't bring up their relationship status again, "Okay…well, why didn't you guys kiss?"

Tori leaned back and shot her eyes up to the ceiling, "Because I couldn't bring myself to kiss Jade's ex-boyfriend. I knew she still had feelings for him and…I didn't want to hurt her."

Though Andre was still very surprised to hear this news about his two best friends, he tried to keep her talking, "Yeah, but if Beck wanted to kiss you, that means he has feelings for you…"

"No, _had_, Andre…_had!_" She yelled as she stood up again, running her hand through her hair, "It obviously wasn't that big a deal to him if he's back with Jade again!"

Sighing, Andre stood up next to her, putting a hand on her arm, "Look…you have to analyze the whole situation, right? Did you really want to kiss Beck, aside from the fact that he was Jade's ex?"

"Well….yeah, kinda."

"And you told him that's why you couldn't kiss him?"

"Yeah…"

"Then that's probably why he got back with Jade so fast," Andre began to explain, trying to get into Beck's head, "Everyone could see that Beck had feelings for you, and since it didn't work out for him and Jade, he wanted to give you guys a shot. But once he found out that you couldn't do that because you didn't want to hurt Jade, he probably figured that you would never give him a chance. And everyone can also see that Jade never got over Beck, so you know…Beck probably used his Beck charm and got Jade back."

Tori's head was whirling, "So you're saying the only reason he got back with her was because he couldn't have me?"

Andre shook her head and held up his hands in defense, "I never said _only_ reason, Tori. It just gave him the push to try Jade out again."

Tori laughed sarcastically, "You make dating seem like trying on outfits."

He shrugged, "Well, I mean…it kind of is, right? You try dating someone and if you realize you don't want to date that person, you let them go….or take them back to where you found them, however you want to use the outfit analogy."

When Tori didn't say anything, he continued, "That's why people date before they get married: To try that person out; Get to know them on a personal level; To see if they'll work out against all the odds."

Tori stared hard at him. So hard, in fact, that Andre was beginning to feel awkward again. He licked his lips out of nervous habit, "But if you don't like my analogy, then you don't ha—."

Andre got cut short as Tori, very quickly and unexpectedly, closed the gap between them and pressed her lips against his. He was so shocked he simply stood there with his arms outstretched on either side. Neither of them moved, in fact, it could hardly be called a kiss since it was more like lips on other lips.

When the shock began to wear off, Tori popped her eyes open and finally broke contact.

"I'm so sorry, Andre, I just…"

She was hoping he would say something to comfort her, even something as simple as "No, it's okay," but there was nothing. Andre only waited for her to finish her thought.

She threw her arms up in defeat, "I just think…you know, that we should try each other out! I mean, why not, right? We get along perfectly, we tell each other everything, we make beautiful music together…you're comfortable to be around."

Andre blinked a few times. He couldn't deny that she made some good points, but the thought of even dating Tori surprisingly never crossed his mind. And that's saying something, considering he even fantasized about dating _Jade_ before. And as far as he could tell, it never crossed Tori's mind to date him, either…it was the most spur of the moment thing he's ever witnessed.

"Say something, please!" Tori exclaimed suddenly, breaking him of his racing thoughts.

"Um…whoa?" Was all he could offer.

Tori slumped forward to slight defeat, "C'mon Andre, why not? Look, I know you still have some feelings left for Jade that never really went away, and I have some feelings for Beck that need to go away. We're not mean, so we're not going to try to break them up again. Let's help each other."

While saying this, Tori thought the last bit needed a little bit of oomph. She put on one of her best sly smiles and inched towards him, "You never know…it might be fun."

Andre stared as he watched her try to put "the moves" on him. If anything, it made him smile in amusement, "Baby Girl, I think this is the craziest idea you've ever had."

Tori looked hurt and defeated.

He quickly continued, "And I think I like it."

With that, he pulled her forward to give her a real kiss.

"Ah…" Tori started with a humorous smile, "I think that was the most _un_romantic hook up I've ever experienced."

"And now look at us…two years later," Andre added, scooting as close as he could to her while wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Craziest and best idea ever."

* * *

><p><strong>Tori Vega: About to find out my country!<strong>

**Mood: Super-Excited**

Tori and Andre entered Hollywood Arts the next morning to find a chaotic crowd in the main hallway as all the seniors tried to look at the postings at the same time.

"Come on, let's try to get up to the front," Andre said before him and Tori basically dived into the mob.

Somehow, they made it up to the front without too much hassle, not too surprised to find that Jade made her way to the front, too.

"Jade, did you see what country you got?" Tori asked excitedly, just as curious to see where all her friends were being put.

Tori was shocked when Jade glared daggers at her instead. The pale girl stepped right in front of her, her eyes piercing something fierce. Tori was about to cower or duck, thinking Jade was about to swing at her, but instead, Jade just turned sharply and made her way out of the crowd.

"What was that about?" Andre asked her.

Tori shrugged, but quickly dismissed what was basically normal Jade behavior anyway. She and Andre focused on the sheet posted on the wall.

"Oh, Tori, I got Argentina!" He thought about it for a moment, "Is that like Mexico?"

Tori shot him a weird look, "Um, kind of, sure." She continued to look for her name, and when she finally found it, her eyes bulged with excitement, "Oh my God, I'm going to Japan!"

"All right!" Andre looked again, "Oh look, Cat got China. She's so tiny, she'll fit right in!"

Tori laughed and was interested in where Jade was being sent, "Jade got England. You would think she would be happy about that…isn't that where a lot of Gothic architecture is?"

"I know why she's mad," Andre declared, looking at her with slight discomfort himself. He pointed to the paper on the wall.

Tori looked right where his finger landed, her eyes widening even more than they did when she found out her country. She couldn't help but read it aloud:

"Oliver, Beck: Japan."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Wow…so I finally decided to update. Like many of you, "Tori Goes Platinum" rekindled my interest in my story. In fact, I think waiting for this episode even added something better to this story that I wasn't first expecting. I'm sorry if some of you don't like Tori/Andre and read this, but I had to add backstory (Sikowitz would appreciate it). Plus, I was trying to give it a twist in such a way that it wasn't mushy. In coming chapters, Beck will get to tell his side of the story.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Negative Emotions

_WARNING: Slight sexual content. But only slight. You have been warned!_

**Final Project**

**II.**

Tori felt the chill in the room as she and Andre entered Sikowitz's class. She was able to hear the excitement in the room right before they walked in, but the moment all eyes spotted her the room fell silent.

'_Guess everyone knows…_' she thought to herself, taking her usual seat with Andre sitting behind her.

When no one was offering any words to break the silence, Robbie thought he would put in his two cents, faking the "best" accent he could, "I'm going to the land down under!"

Everyone just stared at him. Mostly because they didn't care, but also because his accent was way too exaggerated.

He lost his smile when he thought no one guessed, "Umm…Australia?"

Since Robbie's attempt to break the awkwardness didn't work, Beck finally opened up with: "High five for Japan!" He held up his hand to Tori and Tori, who became momentarily excited about her country choice again, smacked his hand with as much vigor as she could muster.

"It's gonna be so awesome!" She turned sideways in her chair so she was better facing him, "You think we'll get to stay in Tokyo?"

Jade jumped in, "No one said anything about staying in the same city."

It was at that moment that Sikowitz walked into the room, holding a coconut, of course, "Those who are sent to the same country will also be sent to the same city in said country."

"'Those who are sent to the same country'?" Jade snapped, her anger causing her to stand up, "As far as I can tell, Beck and Tori are the only ones that got the same country!"

"Ah, you just didn't look hard enough, Jade," Sikowitz countered, stirring the straw in his all natural bowl, "Everyone got paired up. Those two ending up together," he motioned towards Tori and Beck, "just happens to be a coincidence."

Before Jade could go on a rampage, Tori stood up, too, "Look, Jade…I know you don't particularly like this idea, but—."

"I hate it!" Jade interrupted, "It just doesn't seem right to—."

"Stop, okay?" Beck said, not even bothering to get up from his seat, though, "I thought you were over this whole jealousy thing? You haven't done something like this since Tori and Andre started dating."

"This is different," Jade finalized, turning to Andre, "And you. What do you think about this arrangement?"

Andre shot his head up, having not put any input in for his own reasons. He didn't want to kindle Jade's fire, but he also didn't want Jade to harass Tori any longer for a decision that she had nothing to do with. He sighed deeply, "I trust Tori. And Beck. I'm glad they each get to go with someone they know and can truly enjoy Japan."

"Very mature, Andre," Beck smiled at him, then shot Jade a look indicating that she should be just as mature.

Jade pursed her lips so hard they began to turn white. She took a step closer to Tori, "I think you should be sent to _Phucket_!" She yelled, dramatizing the city name to enhance her feelings.

Tori put her hands on her hips, "_Phucket_ is not a country."

Jade rolled her eyes before flopping back in her seat, "Thailand. You should be sent to Thailand."

* * *

><p>Out in the hallway after Sikowitz's class was over, Jade and Beck were getting into a heated discussion by Jade's locker.<p>

"Just go tell Helen that you want switched," Jade told him, throwing all her books in her locker before slamming it shut.

Beck didn't even budge, "But I don't want switched. Going to Japan sounds like fun."

"Yeah, I bet it does!" She shot back accusingly, "Going to England sounds like fun, too, why don't you want to go there?"

"Jade…" He was about to say more, but decided against it. Nothing he said in that hallway was going to make her change her mind. He did the only thing he knew how to when it came to avoiding a hallway argument: walk away. He held up his hands as he turned on his heel, "We'll just have to discuss this later."

Jade was quick to follow him, "Why does it have to be later? Beck? I want an answer!"

As she tried to urge him on, they walked past Tori's locker, where Tori, Andre, Robbie, and Cat were standing. Tori slumped against her locker, "I honestly don't know why Jade is so upset over this."

Cat twirled a piece of her red hair around her index finger, "I think it's cause you're going to Japan with her boyfriend."

Tori patted her gently on the shoulder, "Thank you, Cat. But _why_ is she upset that Beck and I got paired together?"

"Maybe she's read too many romance novels," Robbie said. They all turned to him, intrigued about where he was going with that statement, "You know…how there's always the handsome guy that gets a mistress and at first no one knows but then as things start to heat up, they—."

Andre stopped him, "Do I even want to know why you know so much about romance novels?"

Robbie only half smiled and shrugged.

Andre sighed, "Besides, Jade and I don't have to worry about a thing…I trust Tori with Beck more than I would some other random guy in the school."

Tori smiled and leaned against him, and Cat giggled, making her voice go an octave higher, "We'll see about that…"

They all looked shocked that she would even go there. Tori's eyes were the widest, "Cat! Why would you even say that?"

Cat's smile quickly disappeared as she then looked ashamed of herself. She turned to go her own way, "Sorry…"

* * *

><p><strong>Tori Vega: Two more days and I'll be in Japan!<strong>

**Mood: Anticipate-y**

Tori and Andre once again entered her house, the school day seeming longer than usual since it was Friday, and with Jade being in a sour mood, it never made anyone else's day any better.

"Ugh, can you believe her?" Tori groaned, flopping down on her back on the couch as soon as she reached it, "She went on about it _all day._ I think she actually got worse at the end."

Andre sat beside her head, looking down into her eyes, "Well, now that we're not at school, I want to tell you how I really feel."

Tori narrowed her eyes and scooted herself up so that her head was lying in his lap, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not crazy about the idea of you and Beck going to Japan."

Tori shot right up so that she was sitting beside him, "Andre, not you, too!"

Andre held up his hands in defense, "Look, it's not 'cause I necessarily think anything is going to happen…"

"Necessarily?" She repeated with slight accusation, "You think that, after two years, something like that could happen?"

"No, Tor, hear me out," he sighed deeply and let his head fall back against the couch, "I guess I'm just jealous that he's going to get to spend a whole month with you and I won't get to see you at all."

She instantly felt bad for snapping at him so quickly, "There's always video chat."

"Not the same."

Tori could only stare at him. Andre had his eyes closed now, no doubt trying hard to keep himself composed while still telling her what was on his mind. It was crazy how Jade and Andre were feeling this way, yet herself and Beck hardly treated it like it was anything at all. So, for Andre's sake, she did what she always did when they seemed to be on two different pages; and that was to put herself in his shoes.

How would she feel if Andre and Jade were paired together? Sure, Andre used to like her, but did she have any feelings for him? Tori highly doubted it, so she couldn't even picture anything happening between them if they were together for a month. So she had to consider…Andre knew Tori used to like Beck, and he also knew that Beck used to like her. But after she refused to kiss him, that died away…didn't it?

The last two years seemed to be the happiest times for everyone. With Beck and Jade back together and Tori and Andre uniting as a couple, it made Jade's insecurities go away, it made the tension between Beck and Tori die down, and it allowed Tori and Andre to find their rightful way to each other. Cat and Robbie…well, they were still trying to figure things out.

Either way, all six of them were each other's best friends (even if Jade didn't always want to admit it), and for Tori and Beck to do anything behind Jade and Andre's backs would just tear too many good things apart.

There would be unnecessary drama.

There would be unnecessary heartache.

There would be unnecessary… reawakening of past feelings…

"What are you thinking about?" Andre asked suddenly, snapping her from her thoughts.

She turned her eyes back to him, Andre seeming like he had been studying her for the past few minutes. She flashed him a smile before swinging her legs over his and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "I was just thinking how much I really am going to miss you…but I'll think about you every day."

He returned her smile, placing one arm around her, and one hand on her thigh, "I'll think about you every hour."

Giving a small, flirtatious giggle, she leaned in closer to him, "Every minute."

Andre leaned in close, too, "Every second."

Then she kissed him, squeezing him as tight as she could against her body.

'_There's no reason for any of us to be worried…_' Tori thought to herself as she curled her toes when Andre's hand moved up to her hip. _'What's in the past is in the past. I'm happy right where I am_.' She let out a slight moan when their lips broke apart momentarily for him to lay her down on the couch and to climb over top of her_. 'I mean, the only reason I'm totally excited is 'cause it's Japan! No matter who I got paired with, it's going to be the best experience ever.'_

She tilted her head to the side when Andre began kissing down her neck, his lips so light against her skin that it felt like a feather.

'_Sure, I'm going to miss Andre, but maybe it'll be good for us to spend some time apart. Who knows where we'll be going to college next year…_' His hand continued to creep up until it was right on the side of her breast, giving small squeezes with his palm pressing hard against her.

"I'm going to miss you, Baby Girl…" He said into her ear before looking into her eyes. Her eyes shone brightly.

"We still have all weekend," she returned, bringing his lips back down to hers and entwining their legs together. They continued to be engrossed in one another for a few more moments before she began to feel a difference. His kisses were getting stronger, his hand that was on her side was getting closer to her chest, and his hips were digging into hers, causing her to feel his arousal.

"Mm, Andre, wait," she said quickly, breaking their kiss with force. He stared down at her quizzically. She shook her head, "I still…can't."

Andre closed his eyes, licked his lips, and nodded. He slowly got himself off of her, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

Tori always felt awful when they got into moments like that…because she was sure she was one of the few girls that have been dating the same guy for so long, yet have never been completely intimate with him. She never meant to get Andre all worked up, but she didn't not want to have special relationship moments with him, either. Before, she told herself it was because she was underage and didn't want to have any adult relations before she was legally an adult. But once she turned eighteen, she found that her fear of having sex for the first time never disappeared.

She bit her bottom lip, "I'm sorry…"

Andre held up his hand, his breathing still rigid, "It's okay. One of us has to have self-control, right?"

Her lips formed a small smile, "Right." '_See…I have the perfect, most understanding boyfriend ever. Nothing is going to happen.'_

* * *

><p>"<em>Now<em> can we talk about this?" Jade urged as she and Beck entered his RV. She dropped her bag at the door, but Beck carried his all the way in and dropped it beside his bed. He bounced down on his bed, putting his arms behind his head and looking up at the ceiling.

"I really don't know what else there is to discuss," Beck answered, all the while knowing that if Jade wanted to talk about something, she would always find a way to continue it.

She stood beside his bed, glaring down at him as if he were mocking her, "There's _everything_ to discuss! I don't understand why you won't get your country changed to make me, your _girlfriend_, feel better. Does Japan really mean that much to you?" She paused before adding, "Or is it Vega that means that much to you?"

"Jade, stop!" Beck raised his voice, "It's neither Japan, nor Tori, that is effecting my decision."

"Then what is it?" Jade raised her voice also, having waited all day for Beck to change his mind.

"It's _you_," he stated, bouncing back up to stand in front of her, "You don't trust me enough, and that's why I'm not changing it, because I'm not interested in supporting your selfish jealousy!"

Jade looked hurt. Maybe even slightly scared. She looked like she was ready for him to break up with her again. Seeing this, Beck instantly felt terrible. Sure, Jade had been getting on his nerves all day, but he hated snapping at her.

"Look, Jade, I didn't mean that, I just—" He was interrupted.

"No, you did, so don't say you didn't," she said calmly, turning her back on him and walking around the RV like it was something new to her, "We should both be completely honest in this, so you can't say something truthful and then take it back," she turned to him quickly, "You still have feelings for her?"

"No," he said immediately, "Tori is dating my best friend, and I could never do that to Andre."

Jade rolled her eyes, "I didn't ask if you would do anything with her, I just asked if you still had feelings for her."

Beck's shoulders slumped, "No. Okay?"

Jade stared at him for a moment, moving her tongue around anxiously in her mouth before asking the next question, "What if they broke up all of a sudden?"

"They're not going to."

"I said 'what if'."

He sighed, "It still wouldn't make a difference. She would still be Andre's ex, and I would still have you."

Jade thought some more, "What if they broke up, and we broke up, too?"

He threw his hands up in the air in annoyance, "Jade, none of that is going to happen, so I'm tired of answering your 'what if' questions."

Jade didn't back down, "Would the same thing happen like before the music awards?"

Beck knew that Jade knew about his and Tori's moment before the Platinum Music Awards. After the awards, he went to her and asked her why she gave up her spot for Tori. She confessed that she saw everything on Cat's video chat. He was slightly shocked that she didn't try to kill him for trying to kiss Tori, which made him very proud of her for handling it well and doing the right thing.

"She could have done it," Jade explained, "You were all over her, and I don't know any other girl that would have turned you down."

"Yeah, well…despite what you may think, Tori cares about you," Beck told her.

"Don't remind me," She groaned, leaning against the building where the award show was hosted. Everyone else had rode home with Andre, so they were the only two left, "But I know. She had every right to do it, if she did. I see how much you like her."

Beck sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah, but I don't think it's going to go anywhere. She doesn't want to hurt you."

Jade stared at him…_really_ stared at him. And she thought…_really_ thought about telling him to tell Tori that she gave them the okay to start a relationship. Something deep down told her it was the _right_ thing to do…but she just couldn't do it. Because it would be a lie. She _wouldn't_ be okay with them dating, not now, not ever. And to ever see them together would be torture (the bad kind).

"I'm still here," Jade said instead, hardly being able to resist the most handsome guy she's ever seen…the only guy she's ever loved. And when his eyes landed on hers, she felt her heart begin to flutter in anticipation, "Think you could try loving me again?"

"I don't know Jade…I have to thi—."

She stepped forward and kissed him, her hand gently caressing his face. He kissed her back, because it was something familiar. When she parted from him, she said: "I never stopped loving you."

Beck ended up keeping her in limbo for about a week before he told her that he wanted to give them another shot. She welcomed him back in, promising herself that she would make those little changes (like getting along with Tori) in order to make Beck happy. This was made much easier when Tori and Andre came out that they were dating.

"Jade…stop thinking about it," Beck finally said to her after she asked her last question. To make her stop thinking and talking about it, he put his hand behind her neck and brought their lips together. Without hardly breaking contact, he murmured, "Let's just enjoy the weekend."

She only nodded as she kissed him again, pushing against him to make him fall on his bed. Landing on top of him, she straddled his hips as her hands already began working on getting his belt loose. They were already getting started on their last weekend together.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

You know, I kinda thought that with "Tori Goes Platinum" premiering, all the Bori fans would come out of the woodworks. But it doesn't seem like a whole lot of change in the Bori category.

Also, this fic is taking a completely different direction than when I first planned it. I started this way back in September 2011, waaaay before "Tori Goes Platinum" came into being. But since it's there now, there's no way I can ignore it and go on without applying it. I think it makes the story even better, actually. Anyway, thank you readers and reviewers! You guys are awesome!

_Enula_


	4. Switch?

**Final Project**

**III.**

Saturday evening, Cat contacted everyone to see if they wanted to go out since it would be the last night they all got to spend with each other. Everyone agreed on "Kara_OKAAAAY_" (and yes, you have to pronounce the last two syllables like Lil' Jon), which was formally Karaoke Dokie, but the guy that owned it got put out of business when he was always rigging the contests for his daughter to win.

They were all sitting at their usual table, snacking on appetizers and sipping their sodas as they listened to a few amateurs try their hand at karaoke. Some were bad, some were okay, some were better than they looked.

"So I found out who my China partner is," Cat said, deciding to bring up their final project, "His name's Aaron, but he was never in any of my classes. So I looked him up on The Slap, then I tried messaging him and calling him, but he didn't answer. So I found his address and went to his house. I knocked, but no one answered, but then I realized that the door was unlocked so—."

"You just went into his house?" Robbie asked incredulously.

Cat slapped him on the arm and looked hurt, "Aw, Robbie, _I'm_ telling the story! And you just ruined the surprise!"

"It was going to be a surprise that you went into his house after you said the door was unlocked?" Tori asked, assuming everyone else knew she was going to say the same thing.

"Let me finish!" Cat yelled, tugging at her hair. She seemed like she was getting extremely ticked off, but then suddenly flashed a smile, "Anyway, I went inside and called for him, but still no answer. So I went upstairs and the first room happened to be Aaron's," she leaned in further across the table like she had a secret, "And you wanna know what he was doing in his room?"

The rest of the group leaned in, too, suddenly interested in what Cat caught this random boy doing.

"He was…baby talking to his lizard."

Everyone leaned back. Well, that put an end to that story.

"I'm gonna go pick a song," Jade suddenly announced as she stood up, "Want to sing with me, Cat?"

"Yea, I get to pick a song!" Cat exclaimed, throwing all her French fries in the middle of the table for some reason.

"No, you don't."

"Jade gets to pick a song!" Cat corrected herself without missing a beat, getting up from her seat to follow Jade.

"I'm gonna get another drink. Tori, you want another?" Andre asked as he, too, stood up.

Tori smiled at him, "Yes, please."

After Andre walked away, Beck leaned forward to look around Robbie (because he was the one sitting between Beck and Tori), "So you all ready to go to Tokyo?"

Tori leaned forward in excitement, "Yes! I picked out some outfits that I think would fit in pretty well over there, but I'm thinking about getting one of those cute school girl outfits once we get there."

"Ah, that'll be cute," Beck commented, taking a short sip from his drink, "Last night I was looking up some plays that they have going on around that area, you know, so I can get a feel of how they portray characters over there."

"That sounds fun; maybe I'll join you since I have to study their culture, too. Maybe we can—."

"I'm going to play with the kangaroos," Robbie all of a sudden butted in. Beck and Tori both looked at him with confusion, wondering if he was planning on going anywhere else with his statement. When he saw their eyes were firmly fixed on him, he got nervous and got up quickly, "Excuse me."

They watched him go before turning back to each other, Beck sliding into Robbie's seat to sit closer to her, "Anyway, Tokyo actually has a lot of stuff going on. At the parks there's always a wedding going on, and they have a lot of night time festivals, and ceremonies at temples and shrines, and—."

"Wow, you really did your research," Tori laughed, playing with a nacho as she dipped it in and out of the cheese that was on her plate, "I haven't looked up anything. Mind if I just follow your lead?"

She was half joking, so was slightly surprised when he replied: "Well, that's what I was hoping. I mean, the school paired people up for a reason, right?"

Tori gave a small smile, "Right, I just didn't know how comfortable you felt 'cause of the—."

"Here's Jade West and Cat Valentine singing "Beautiful Liar"," the DJ yelled into the mike, the whole place clapping loudly since the two of them singing together became somewhat of a tradition, and everyone loved listening to them.

Tori and Beck were among the people to stop their conversation for a moment to listen to them, watching as Jade and Cat slowly emerged from the dark corners of the stage.

"_He said I'm—worth it, his one de-sire…"_ Jade began the song.

Andre came back with his and Tori's drinks, sitting down beside her again and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "You planning on singing tonight?"

Tori shrugged and leaned against him, "I dunno, maybe. You wanna sing with me?"

"Absolutely, Baby Girl, let's get this place fallin' in love," he joked, both of them sharing a quick laugh.

"You know you're gonna have a blast in Japan with all the karaoke clubs," Beck said, grinning at Tori from just thinking how popular she could make herself over there.

"_Ay! Let's not kill the karma. Ay! Let's not start a fight…"_ Jade and Cat both sang, their backs against each other as they tried to portray the betrayal and joining of the song.

Tori pounded on the table excitedly, "I know, I want to learn a song in Japanese so I can sing it over there and also when we come back to Hollywood Arts."

"I could try to learn some of it, too, so when we have to perform our play, we can end it with the song…you know, like how we did when…you were a zombie?" Beck chuckled, remembering how they fooled Sophia Michelle.

Tori covered her face just remembering it, "Ugh, I hope nothing like that happens again."

Andre sat listening to them, becoming slightly jealous that they were planning their next month together, and he wouldn't be able to be anywhere in the picture. He didn't even know who he got paired with, and quite honestly, he didn't care. He didn't get paired up with anyone in his circle, and he definitely didn't get as lucky as Beck.

"_Oh, can't we laugh about it?"_ Cat sang with as much emotion as she could muster as the song came close to ending.

"_Hahaha!"_ Jade did the sarcastic, breathy laugh into the microphone.

Then they both joined to finish up the song, _"Oh! It's not worth our time! Oh! We can live without him! Just a beautiful liar!"_

The whole place erupted in clapping and whistling, Beck, Tori, and Andre included even though they were more focused on their conversation than the two girls singing.

Jade and Cat jumped off the stage, Cat bouncing back over to the table as Jade went around it and stood behind Tori, "I think you took my seat."

Tori looked up at her, "Um, no, I've been sitting here the whole time."

Beck explained what happened, "Yeah, actually, I'm sitting in Robbie's seat, and your seat was two seats down from this, but you can take my seat now if you—."

Before he could finish, Jade grabbed the back of Tori's chair and tipped it forward, causing her to fall off her chair and land on the floor.

"Jade!" Beck, Andre, and Cat all yelled at once. Robbie was just then making his way back over to their table.

"That was really unnecessary," Beck said with slight disgust, as he grabbed Tori's one arm, Andre grabbing the other, to help her stand up.

Tori wiped herself off, feeling more embarrassed than anything. She swallowed back some tears that threatened to escape, but didn't want to embarrass herself more, and also didn't want to let Jade know that she was really hurt she was acting this way again.

"It's okay," Tori said, clearing her throat and walking to the other side of Andre to sit down, "Jade can sit there."

Andre rubbed her shoulder, "You okay?"

Tori only nodded, glad that Cat placed Tori's drink in front of her again so she could at least play with the straw. She was shocked when Beck was once again on her opposite side, kneeling down next to her, "I'm sorry, Tor, I'm going to have a talk with her."

Tori looked suddenly worried, "No, it's okay, you don't have—."

"What, so she moves and you have to follow her?" Jade crossed her arms, her anger and jealousy rising higher and higher than she had felt in a very long time.

Beck grabbed Jade's arm and began pulling her toward the door, "We're leaving."

"Good. I was done here anyway," Jade shot one last glare at Tori before twirling around to follow Beck.

The remaining four sat in silence for a moment, before Cat offered: "Sorry, Tori."

Tori shook her head, "It's not your fault. I understand why she's upset…"

"Whether she's upset or not…" Andre started, still rubbing her back, "She still has no reason to act like this."

Sighing, Tori rested her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm, "Maybe I should try to get switched…"

"I think it might be too late for that," Robbie said softly.

"Plus, that'll mean Jade wins…" Cat said, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

Tori glanced at the three of them. _Is this really about who wins or loses…?_

* * *

><p>Outside of Kara<em>OKAAAAY<em>, Jade ripped her arm free of Beck's grasp, "So how'd you like my performance?" Before Beck could answer, she answered for him, "Oh yeah, you weren't paying attention. You were too busy talking to Tori."

"Jade, that was one of the worst things I've seen you do in awhile," Beck started, completely ignoring her previous accusation, "And I don't know if I can handle…_this_…" He waved his hand up and down her, "again."

She instantly went on the defense when she realized that Beck was looking to skip the fight and go right for what could possibly be the end, "Beck, come on, it wasn't _that _bad. She only fell like two feet."

"It's the principle of it, Jade," Beck ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "I mean, maybe we shouldn't be together if it's just going to make you on edge for the next mon—."

"_Stop_!" She yelled suddenly, holding up her hands with defiance in her eyes, "Don't even go there, Beck! You said last night that there was no way we were going to break up before we all left. And I'm not leaving you a free man to Tori when you—."

"Okay, _you_ stop now. Whether _I'm_ single or not, Tori is still dating Andre. You wanna know why?" He stepped toward her, putting his face right in front of hers, "Because he's handling it _maturely_!"

"Would you stop using that word?" Jade spat back, "How I feel about this arrangement has nothing to do with—."

"Jade."

Jade stopped when she heard her name, turning around to see Tori standing outsides the doors.

"I'll try to contact Helen in the morning and see if I can switch."

Jade began to smile but it quickly dissipated when Beck stepped around her, "Tori, no. If Jade can't handle this, that's her problem. Don't let her keep ruining your plans."

"Excuse me!" Jade's eyes widened at her boyfriend, "She offers to fix everything and you tell her not to?"

"Her switching is not going to fix everything," Beck said, folding his fingers behind his head in frustration, "If anything, it's only going to make it worse. When I'm paired up with someone new, all I'm going to think about the whole time is how you forced Tori to switch because she's _such_ a nice person, that she doesn't want to see even someone like you upset. Well guess what, Jade, high school ends soon! Who knows where we're going to end up afterward. Are you gonna plant a tracking device on me so you know where I'm at and who I'm with every second we're apart? That is _not _how I want to be in a relationship."

All three of them stood in awkward silence after Beck's little vent. Tori rubbed her arm and stared at the ground, Beck kept his hands behind his head as he looked up into the sky, and Jade looked from Tori to Beck with very tight lips and narrowed eyes. Beck was the only one that was ever able to make her cry, and she felt the sting behind her eyes.

Jade kept her voice lowered so Tori wouldn't be able to hear the crack that came with her words, "Can we talk this over somewhere else?"

Beck stared at her for a very long moment, knowing that she was close to tears. He almost wanted her to start bawling, but at the same time, he didn't want to see her pride hurt in front of Tori, even though she probably deserved it. Sighing, he dropped his hands to his sides, "Yeah, let's go," he turned to Tori, "I'll talk to you later, Tor. And _don't_ even think about switching."

Jade snapped her head quickly away from the two as she began walking toward Beck's car, Beck following close behind, unsure of how their night was going to end.

()()()()()()()()()()

Hey everyone. I'm sorry this story is going slower than I first expected, but I'm trying to build up to Japan instead of just tossing them there. I know those who review (thanks to the few of you!) are lookin' for some Bori, and trust me, it'll get there. Anyway, let me know what you think! Am I making Jade too harsh or overreacting? Or do you think this is about how she'd act? Any of you have any ideas that you may want to see for the story that I'll try to squeeze in somehow?


	5. Late Night Phone Calls

**Final Project**

**IV.**

It was close to two in the morning and Beck didn't see sleep anywhere in sight. He was staring up at the ceiling of his RV, hardly any light in his house-on-wheels except from the red glow of the clock on his desk. He turned his head to the side, barely seeing the silhouette of his girlfriend lying next to him. He sighed, almost wishing (and feeling bad for doing so) that she wasn't there.

Beck knew, even before him and Jade left the parking lot, that their argument was far from over. He also knew, however, that their relationship was far from over. Therefore, it was no surprise to him when Jade continued to accuse him of taking Tori's side, nor was it a surprise to him when he began to comfort her when she started to cry. And it didn't surprise him when she began apologizing while pushing him to the bed, and he wasn't surprised when they relieved their passion and frustration through sex.

Sighing, he grabbed his phone off his desk to check the time, even though his clock was pretty clear. He clicked on his contacts and the first name on his list was Andre. Not knowing what else to do, he clicked on his name to message him.

**Beck: You up?**

Beck waited about two minutes before assuming the answer was no. Even though it was Saturday (well, Sunday morning technically), he wouldn't have been surprised if everyone else was asleep. He scrolled through his contacts, coming across Cat (who was probably sleeping like a baby), Robbie (it was probably about five hours past his bedtime), and Tori. Even though Beck felt like he needed to talk with Andre (just for guy time, to tell him his crappy night, to let him know he had nothing to worry about, to assure him he would look after Tori), he kind of felt that he owed Tori another apology. He clicked on her name.

**Beck: You up?**

Almost immediately, he got a response:

**Tori: Yeah, what's up?**

**Beck: Can I call?**

**Tori: Give me two minutes.**

Perfect amount of time for Beck to slowly get off the bed without disturbing Jade, find his jeans and pull them on as quietly as he could, and tiptoe outside of his RV.

Over at Tori's house, Tori had been slumped on the couch watching a show on TV that she couldn't even hear. Andre had come over after they all left Kara_OKAAAAY_ and they ended up watching a movie. They snuggled for awhile, and before Tori knew it, Andre was fast asleep. It didn't come so easily to her.

So when Beck texted her at two in the morning, she was pretty surprised someone else was up. Tori had to carefully remove herself from Andre's arms to get up and head out to the patio so she could talk with Beck without disturbing her boyfriend.

As soon as she closed the sliding door, her phone began to vibrate. She answered.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. What are you doing up so late?"

She leaned against the railing, "I dunno, I tried to go to sleep. Andre's inside, passed out."

"Ah, you wore him out, huh?" Beck joked, his unseen grin contagious enough to make Tori grin, too.

"Haha, yeah, sure…something like that. Anyway, what's up?"

Beck ran a hand through his hair, walking a little further away from his RV, "I just wanted to apologize again for Jade. Her insecurities can cause her to do—."

Tori stopped him, "Beck, you don't have to keep apologizing for her…I know how Jade is. I'm used to it."

"It shouldn't be something you have to get used to though, you know? I mean, she still thinks that after two years I still have feelings for you."

"Oh…" his last comment threw her off guard. Did Jade know Beck had feelings for Tori? She never really thought about it, but she guessed it would make sense that Beck told Jade about what happened before the music awards. She told Andre, so why not?

"Yeah, I know, crazy, right? But that's just how Jade thinks. You're lucky you have someone like Andre that doesn't freak out over stuff like this."

Tori sat down on one of the patio chairs, "Yeah, pretty lucky," she forced a laugh.

Beck narrowed his eyes at her sudden change in tone, "Tori…Andre is cool with everything, right?"

Tori shook her head, almost wanting to slap herself to get out of whatever rut she felt like she fell into, "No—I mean yes! Yeah, Andre's cool. He's more jealous that you get to spend the next month with me and he doesn't, but that's about it."

Beck chuckled, "At least that sounds normal." He paused, waiting for Tori to say something, but when she didn't, he continued, "So we'll be on the plane in about twenty-four hours."

Tori remembered looking at the plane ticket the school gave her, saying that the flight was scheduled to take off at 2:25 AM Monday morning. The envelope the ticket was in also contained a special student ID that was meant to be her voucher to get everything free in the hotel that was sponsoring the trip; so the room was free and all the meals inside the hotel were free. The envelope also included a credit card that contained eighty-thousand yen, which was about one-thousand US dollars. This was so they could view the city and its attractions so the student could get a good feel of the culture. She figured she would bring some of her own cash, too.

"I just can't wait to get this thing started already," she commented.

"Yeah, well, we'll make sure everything that happened tonight doesn't affect how good of a time we're gonna have," he paused again before saying the next part quickly, "I'm glad we got paired together, Tori."

This caught her attention again. She felt her face heat up as she gave a nervous laugh, "I'm sure you would've been happier if you got paired with Jade."

"Ehhh...I wouldn't say that exactly."

Tori stuck her fingers in her hair, starting to wonder why they were having this conversation. _Wait…this conversation isn't even bad! Jade's been acting like…well, Jade, so of course he felt he needed to apologize. And because she's been acting like that, you know that's why he's glad he didn't get paired with her. So don't go asking—_

"Why?" Tori clenched her eyes shut and slapped her forehead. _Shoulda just let it go…_

"She's just…overly picky, so I might not have gotten to do a lot of what I wanted without her complaining," he began explaining, taking a quick glance back at his RV to make sure Jade wasn't eavesdropping, "Plus, I think it'll be good for us to spend some time apart…you know, get some diversity under our belts."

_Diversity? What the hell is he talking about…? Am I overanalyzing this?_

She felt her skin tighten with goose bumps when Beck laughed lowly in her ear, "I don't even know what the hell I'm talking about. I should get back inside before she wakes up to find me gone."

_Guess they made up okay_. Tori thought bitterly, but then quickly caught herself and had to question what was wrong with her head.

"Yeah…same here," she responded while looking inside the doors. Andre looked nowhere close to waking up.

"All right, Tor. I'll see you at the airport tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

And that was that. She clicked end on her phone and sat it down on the patio table. She slumped in her chair and stared up at the dark sky. She couldn't even see stars anymore. She wished she was tired because she knew the next few days were going to be nonstop. There was still packing to do, last minute moments with Andre, getting to the airport at that ridiculous hour, and then being on the plane for eleven-and-a-half hours.

_Eleven-and-a-half hours…_

That's how long she was going to be sitting next to Beck. But why was she even worrying about that small amount of time? She was going to be next to him for the next month! Well…more like three weeks, but that was practically a month anyway.

She stood up quickly when it felt like her brain was about to explode. She walked to the glass doors and put her palm gently on the glass as she peered in at Andre's sleeping form. Tori knew she was going to miss him like crazy; he treated her like a princess, what girl wouldn't miss that?

Not only was he her boyfriend, he was her best friend. She admitted that after they had made the decision to start dating, she was feeling _very _worried that they made a mistake. Friends stay friends forever, but relationships (especially in high school) don't always last. They didn't even hook up on romantic terms…they were more like each other's rebounds. Rebounds aren't supposed to work, are they? They're only meant to help you get over the initial pain.

And it did. Their relationship helped her get over two years of initial pain.

"_I mean, she still thinks that after two years I still have feelings for you…"_

His words rang through her head. So what happened? That's what she wanted to ask. What about even having feelings for her after a week? But she couldn't ask him that. She knew what the answer was: she was _Beck's_ rebound. Even if she would have kissed him that day…they wouldn't have lasted.

Would they?

Tori clenched her fists. _Stop thinking about it! Now is_ definitely _not the time!_

Grabbing her phone, she walked back inside before tossing it on the counter. She went over to the couch and sat down beside Andre and stared at him for a long moment. She thought about seducing him awake; end their last night together with a bang (haha).

But she was unsure if she would be able to finish what she started. Her mind was going back and forth as it was, so what would happen if they were past the point of no return but decided to return anyway? That…well, that just wouldn't be very nice for Andre.

Yet at the same time, she wanted to just get it over with. But why? Why did having sex for the first time have to be something to just "get over with"? Isn't it meant to be special? They say you always remember your first time, so it must have some sort of impact.

Still, why couldn't she bring herself to do it? She loved Andre and after these last two years, had made plans on staying with him forever. So why not?

Tori must have been staring at him pretty hard, because his eyes began twitching before they slowly opened, trying to bring her into focus.

"Hey, Tor," he said groggily, yawning and stretching, "What time is it?"

"About two-thirty. I just…" she blinked a few times as she watched him rub his eyes. She looked around quickly before spotting a blanket. Quickly, she reached over and grabbed it, "I just got cold and wanted a blanket." She held out half for him, "Wanna share?"

He smiled sleepily at her, "Sure, Baby Girl." They got comfortable against each other again, and Tori sighed deeply when she knew Andre fell back to sleep and she chickened out.

Over at Becks, he tried to crawl back into bed without disturbing Jade, but as soon as he laid down, the bed made an annoyingly loud creak that woke her up.

"Mm, what you doing?" She asked, reaching her hand over to place it on his bare chest.

"Just had to use the bathroom," he lied, figuring that was the easiest way to go, "Go back to sleep."

She scooted closer to him and began to run her fingernails up and down his abdomen, her hand going lower and lower each time, "But I'm awake now. You gotta wear me out again."

Beck sighed inwardly as Jade rolled herself on top of him and put her lips to his neck.

()()()()()()()()()()

I stayed up way too late writing this! I PROMISE GUYS! Next chapter….next chapter they'll be in Japan. We're gettin' there! Thanks for all your reviews and for sticking with me! Remember, if you have any ideas you would like me to include, don't hesitate to say so. Also, I'm not feeling the title for this story anymore…actually, I never really did but didn't know what else to call it. Any ideas?


	6. Finally There

**Final Project**

**V.**

Sunday night came before Tori knew it. She had hardly slept at all Saturday night and had too much to do during the day to take a nap. Andre agreed to help her pack since his flight to Argentina wasn't until 4:00 PM on Monday and he had plenty of extra time to gather his stuff together.

He also wanted to be the one to drive her to the airport, even though he knew he couldn't wait with her at the terminal gate.

"You look like a little kid who lost his puppy," Tori tried to joke as she threw some toiletries in her suitcase. Andre was sitting on the bed staring at her suitcase as if it was the cause for Tori leaving.

Andre sighed and forced a smile, "Hey, you know I always wear my emotions on my sleeve. Can't help it if I look this way."

Tori forced a small smile, too, but inwardly felt terrible because she was way more excited than depressed about leaving. Even during their ride to the airport, she was too overwhelmed with thoughts of all the fun she was going to have in Japan to say anything; thus, the car ride was silent. Andre kept looking like he wanted to say something, but would then change his mind, and Tori felt that anything she could've said would be too cheerful, and Andre didn't seem to want cheering up.

It was about 1:30 AM when they arrived at the airport, and though it was still pretty busy for so early in the morning, it wasn't terrible.

Andre helped carry her luggage inside, but since he couldn't go past the ticket line, they decided to say their goodbyes near the entrance.

He breathed in deeply, and then let out a shaky breath, "Well, I guess this is it."

She punched him playfully on his shoulder, "Don't say it like that. You make it sound so final."

Staring at her for a very long moment, as if he knew something that she didn't, he opened his mouth to say what was on his mind, but got interrupted before he could even begin.

"Hey, perfect timing!"

Tori and Andre both turned to see Beck and Jade walk inside the automatic doors, Beck being the only one carrying his luggage, which only consisted of a large suitcase and a small carryon.

"So perfect," Jade said sarcastically, wishing she could plant some sort of devise on Tori that would cause alarm and have her kicked off the flight. But she didn't think that far ahead. So she had nothing available.

Andre clapped his hands together and licked his lips before folding them in, "Uh, listen guys, Tori and I were just saying our goodbyes and…you know…there's only a few minutes left, so…"

"Got ya," Jade said, being more than happy to pull Beck aside so she could have her last moment with him, too.

Tori smiled shyly and pushed her hair behind her ear, "What did you wanna say, Andre?"

He opened his mouth to speak again, but then seemed to change his mind. Instead, he just pulled her into a tight hug, "I hope you have a great time, Baby Girl."

She hugged him back just as tightly, "I will. And _you_ better enjoy yourself as well."

Andre continued to hold onto her, and she was perfectly fine with it until she cocked her head up from his shoulder and spotted Beck and Jade saying their goodbyes.

She watched them talk softly to one another for a moment before Beck cupped Jade's cheek as he leaned down to kiss her. Tori turned her face away immediately.

"I'll miss you," Tori whispered to Andre, pressing her lips to his in a way that seemed very…_finalish_. She wondered if she should be crying or if she was right to not find this trip that big of a deal.

Andre was the one that broke the kiss, but kept his eyes closed as he put his forehead against hers, "You got your laptop?"

She nodded once, "I'll set video chat up as soon as I get set up in my room."

"I'll do the same," he kissed her quickly, "Got your toothbrush?"

She laughed softly, "Yes. I got everything."

He opened his eyes and smiled sadly at her, "Just making sure," he paused, "I love you, Tori."

"Aww…love you, too, Andre," Tori happened to catch sight of the clock behind Andre and saw that it was already going on 1:45, "But I have to go now…they're probably going to start boarding soon."

Andre sighed inwardly_. How come airport goodbyes are never as dramatic as the movies make them out to be?_

"Okay, Baby Girl. Stay safe and have fun," he watched as Tori got her passport and ticket ready, then pick up her luggage to begin heading toward the ticket and check-in counter.

"See you soon, Andre!" Beck suddenly yelled to him as he, too, picked up his things to begin heading out with Tori.

As Andre watched his girlfriend leave with Beck, and as Jade watched her boyfriend leave with Tori, they both inwardly thought that it was the worst moment of their lives.

* * *

><p>The plane ride was, to say the least, very uneventful. Right before they boarded, Beck offered Tori some sleeping pills to help make the long trip more bearable. So, after taking two of those, plus having had hardly any sleep the past few nights, Tori was out like a light.<p>

Before she knew it, Beck was shaking her shoulder.

"Tori…Tori," he kept repeating her name, and through her grogginess, she couldn't force her brain to work to figure out why Beck was next to her.

She groaned and turned her head toward him with her eyes still closed, "Beck? What did we do last night?"

Beck laughed at her sleep talk, "We rode a plane, that's what. But we're here now, so wake up."

Her eyes snapped open and she sat forward quickly, hearing about ten different bones crack as she did it, "Oh man…" She wrapped her hand around the back of her neck and rolled her head around, "Did I really sleep the whole ride?"

He nodded, "Yep. I bet everyone wishes they had your talent to do that."

The captain came on the speakers, "We're about to make our landing, so I want to ask everyone to fasten their seatbelts."

Tori checked her seatbelt, even though she never even touched it since she buckled herself in for takeoff.

"I have to pee so bad…" she thought out loud.

"Well, you're gonna have to hold it now," he eyed her from his peripheral vision, "Unless you wanna…"

"_Don't_ even say it," she smiled when Beck chuckled, then she turned to look out the window to see that it was slightly dark out.

"What time is it?"

"It is approximately six AM. We jumped ahead sixteen hours," Beck said, looking at his phone that didn't have any signal.

"Hm, so it's almost like we were only on the plane for four hours," she joked, only then feeling how puffy her eyes felt. She slammed her palms into her eyes and began rubbing away, "Ugh, I must look terrible."

"I've seen you worse," Beck commented, trying to hide a smile when she glared very non-threateningly at him. It was Tori! She could hardly pass as threatening, and Beck was _more_ than happy with this change of pace, if you know what I mean.

"Look at all the lights!" Tori exclaimed as she was once again looking out the window, watching as Tokyo got closer and closer.

Beck leaned over her to try to see what she was seeing, which was kind of hard since he couldn't get out of his seat, "I'll see it when we leave in three weeks."

Tori smacked him on his arm, "Don't say that! I don't even want to _think_ about this trip ending!"

He grinned, "Yeah, but time flies when you're having fun."

She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, "I guess we'll just make sure not to have fun then."

Beck shook his head, "That's bad, Jade-like logic right there."

"Oh, sorry…" Tori apologized quickly, but immediately wondered why. Was it because Beck really seemed like he was beyond relived that he was going to get to spend a month apart from Jade? She contemplated asking him about it.

She jumped when she felt the plane hit the ground. It was pretty boring as the plane lingered around the runway until it was able to slow down enough to come to a stop. She was relieved when the captain said that they reached their destination and they could unbuckle their seatbelts.

A flight attendant started speaking Japanese, and it was only then that Tori realized how many Japanese people were returning home from their trip to America. She started to become even more excited when she looked around to see hardly any native English speakers.

"What are we gonna do first, Beck?" she asked animatedly.

"Um, probably try to find the hotel we're staying at," Beck suggested, which made Tori's eyes go wide as she gripped onto his arm.

"Oh no, I just thought about something!"

"That we mighta got the same room?"

"Yes! Wait…_what!_" Tori yelled, suddenly very flustered and anxious, "No! I just thought about how we're going to get around. We can't read Japanese!"

Beck laughed at her liveliness, "Relax, Tor. I think the school set up some sort of guide-like person to help us."

"Oh…" _How in the world does he know this? _She noticed that he was still laughing from his previous joke. They stood up to exit their isle and get their baggage in the glove department, "You're not funny, by the way."

"I thought it was very funny," he countered, handing her bag to her, then grabbing his own.

They waited for their turn to get off the plane, and once they stepped inside the Tokyo airport, they saw that it looked _completely_ different than the Los Angeles one.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore…" Tori said, looking around at all the foreign signs.

"We were never in Kansas to begin with."

"_Konnichiwa! O-Genki desu ka?"_ A very pretty girl jumped in front of Beck and Tori as she yelled words to them that they did not know.

"Umm…_si_?" Tori answered.

Beck looked around, looking slightly embarrassed. He leaned closer to her, "Tori, that's Spanish."

The pretty girl laughed, covering her mouth as she waved them off, "I'm just kidding with you two!" Her suddenly perfect English threw them off.

"You must be Tori Vega and Beck Oliver, correct?" she asked, her head nodding enthusiastically. Her dark, shiny, shoulder length haired bobbed with her, and Tori couldn't help noticing the very cute green and white schoolgirl outfit she had on.

"Yeah, that's us," Beck answered, smiling at the hyper girl that kind of reminded him of Cat.

"_Sugoi!_ I'm Shiori Takahashi; I'm here to help you navigate around Tokyo," she smiled hugely and cocked her head to the side.

"Can we stop at the hotel first so we can drop off our luggage?" Beck asked, holding up his carryon bag.

"Sure, let's go over to the luggage belt and get the rest of your things," she began leading them to where they needed to go, at one point turning around and walking backwards with her hands behind her back to talk to them.

"How was your flight?" Shiori asked.

"Fast/Long," Tori and Beck both said at once, Tori having felt it was fast, obviously, because she slept the whole time.

"Oh, it was long for you?" Tori asked him.

"Yeah, I only slept for a few hours," he answered.

"You probably have terrible jetlag," Shiori told him, somehow stopping right on queue when she reached the belt, even though she wasn't looking, "I'll leave you guys alone for awhile when we get there so you can rest."

"I actually feel fine," Tori commented.

Shiori giggled, "Tori-chan, you look like you have worst jetlag than Beck."

Tori smiled when she heard her new nickname, but then it quickly turned into a scowl, "Hey! I've looked worse!"

"Oh look, there are our bags," Beck cut in, grabbing his and Tori's.

"Aw, what a nice boyfriend," Shiori said, cupping her cheeks in her palms.

"We're not dating," they answered at once.

"Uh-huuuhhh…." Shiori dragged on, smiling slyly at them. She walked in between them and looped her arms through theirs, "Tell me all about it on the way there."

Tori smiled despite herself. They had only met Shiori a few minutes ago, but already she knew she was going to like her.

()()()()()()()()

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait…I'm totally swamped with math and English homework. But I wanted to try to get another chapter in for you guys before I really hit the books before my trip down to South Carolina next week. Not sure how updates are gonna look for the next few weeks.

A little side note that I found very interesting: I've lived here so long that I've kinda taken it for granted, but I recently realized that I live on a street named Victoria Street, and a few miles down the road, there's a Beck Avenue. HA! What a coin-kee-dink!


	7. Marco Polo

**Final Project**

**VI.**

"So, tell me about yourselves," Shiori asked as soon as they got into her cute, little blue car that Tori thought looked more like an oversized basket.

Tori ended up sitting in the passenger seat (which felt weird to her, cause it was like she was on the driver's side). She admitted that the car made her feel like she was about to go on one of those 3D adventure rides at Disneyland. She immediately began to look around at the spectacular city of Tokyo as she answered her new friend: "Well, I'm a singer mostly. Hollywood Arts helped me become better at what I always loved doing. I'm starting college at NYCDA, which is a New York performing arts school."

Shiori nodded, "Good for you! And what about you back there?" She looked briefly in her rearview mirror at Beck.

Beck smiled back at her, "I'm the actor. Tapping into emotions that you don't think are there, but really are, has been a passion most of my life. A few colleges have offered me scholarships, but I still don't know which one I want to go to…"

"Hmm, is this New York school that Tori's going to happen to be one of them?" Shiori asked with a very upward inflection at the end as if she were more than hinting at something.

"Umm…yeah, actually," Beck admitted, raising his eyes out his window to stare at all the huge buildings they passed, "Yeah, that's in the mix of 'em."

"Well, there's your answer!" She giggled softly and winked over at Tori.

Tori couldn't even stop the deep blush that spread across her face. She wasn't sure if she was embarrassed that Shiori would find Beck's decision that simple, or if she was embarrassed that Shiori had that innate ability to know certain things that no one else knows (Tori thought back to what Cat said a few days prior when Tori said that nothing would happen in Japan: "We'll see about that….")

"So, tell us about you now!" Tori said to quickly change the subject.

Shiori's face seemed to brighten up even more, "Gladly! I'm nineteen years old and am currently in my third semester at Tokyo's University of the Arts. I'm a singer and a musician, but I'm also studying fashion design and majoring as an English Translator. My dad owns a coffee shop called "Shi-chan's," which has been my nickname since I was a little girl. I usually help out there at night because it gets so busy, but I don't mind, because a lot of talent plays there. I also thought about becoming a make-up artist, but I'd rather just keep that a hobby."

Tori and Beck glanced at each other, thinking that this girl that was assigned to be their tour-guide had major talent.

Beck leaned forward in his seat a little, "So you said you're a singer and musician. You have any records?"

"Aww, you're so sweet! No, I'm just a local favorite for now. I perform a lot at Club Dragon on Saturday nights; maybe you guys can come see me!"

"Definitely/Love to," Beck and Tori answered, wondering what other things they would find out about her along the way.

"Oh! And before I forget…" Shiori reached over and opened the glove compartment and took out two phones. She gave the blue one to Tori and the green one to Beck, "Your phones obviously don't work over here, so I got some temporary ones for you. They're pretty basic so don't expect anything too jazzy just 'cause you're in wonderful Japan! They're mostly for in case you need to reach me or if you get separated from each other. I already put in my number and each of your numbers into your phones."

"Wow, thanks" Tori said, admiring her new phone that looked more like a TV remote.

"Really appreciate it," Beck chimed in.

Shiori giggled, "You guys are so cute. Oh, look! We're here!" She pointed to a large building in front of them that had "Ryumeikan" written across the front. "You guys are so lucky! This is a very snazzy hotel."

"Great, 'cause I need some sleep…" Beck said, slumping back against his seat as Shiori pulled up to the visitor drop off.

"What?" Tori asked incredulously as she turned around, "Don't you want to site see? Go check out some stores? Grab something to eat?"

Beck smiled slightly at her enthusiasm, "Unlike _someone_, I didn't just sleep for twelve hours."

"Poo," Tori crossed her arms, a little disappointed that their adventure would have to be put off for a few more hours.

"Maybe you should get some more rest, too, Tori-chan," Shiori said as they all got out of the car, "Jetlag can really wear you down. C'mon, I'll help you guys check in."

They walked through the main doors, the huge lobby area causing Beck and Tori to look around at _everything_, from the signs they couldn't read, to the dragon statues, to how they seemed to be the only Americans there, to the very friendly looking receptionists. They stood behind Shiori as she talked Japanese to a lady behind the counter.

Tori leaned closer to Beck as she whispered: "You think we'll talk like that before we leave?"

He grinned and whispered back, "We'll be lucky if we can complete a full sentence correctly by then."

"And here you are!" Shiori yelled as she turned around and handed them their room keys. Her sudden loudness made them jump, both of them reaching out to take their key. "Now remember, if you need anything at all, call me. But until then…_ja ne_!" She began skipping toward the exit, waving behind her as she left.

They watched as she got into her car, still waving as she pulled away.

"Guess that leaves just you and me," Beck said, picking up his luggage again that he put down momentarily.

"You make it sound so…" but Tori just let the rest of her sentence trail off. She looked down at her room key and saw that it said 3125, so looked around for an elevator. Spotting one at the far side of the lobby, she picked up her luggage, too, to begin heading that way.

"So what?" Beck inquired with a little smirk. He managed to shift his luggage around so he could carry both his bags in one hand. He walked next to her and put an arm around her, "So personal?"

Tori laughed shortly and ducked and leaned away to get away from his arm, "Yeah right. I was gonna say you make it sound so dangerous."

They reached the elevator, and Beck pressed the up button, "Hmm, I think I might like that better."

Tori rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back the playful smile on her lips, "I think you've been hanging around Jade too long."

The elevator dinged, a Japanese girl on recording started going off, probably to tell them to watch their step, and they stepped on, Beck pressing the third button. He sighed and leaned against the elevator wall, "Don't I know it."

Tori glanced at him as the elevator doors closed. He sure was making it obvious that he was glad to get away from Jade. Were things really that bad between them right now? And was it mostly because they got paired together? She wanted to ask but at the same time was afraid of the answer.

Before they knew it, the elevator dinged again and the doors opened to release them onto their floor. They only walked past a few rooms before Tori saw a 3125 plaque on the door to the room she would be staying in the next few weeks.

"Well, here I am," she announced.

"Hmm…that's weird," Beck said as he looked down at his room key, "I got the same room."

Tori's jaw dropped and her eyes became big as moons. She felt her skin go numb and her muscles turn to mush which caused her to drop all her luggage. She felt this certain tightening in her stomach that made her feel lightheaded, and her body just went through so many changes in that quick second that she didn't even feel like herself anymore.

Beck laughed at her reaction, "I'm just kidding, Tori! I got room 3129, see," He held up his key to show his number.

And all at once, feeling returned to her body, but her feet still felt cold as ice. Her face heated up with embarrassment for reacting like she did so quickly. "Oh….you!" She stepped forward and began throwing a tirade of playful slaps on his arm that he tried to hold up in defense.

"Okay, okay, sorry!" He was still laughing as he tried to back away from her.

She finally stopped, but looked very disheveled. She waved him off as she turned back to her room, "Go get some sleep. I think you need it."

"See you later, Tor," he said as he turned to his room also.

Sliding the key in and out, the green light flashed to let Tori in. She dragged her luggage in, only to leave it right at the door as it closed by itself behind her. She stared at the huge, king-sized bed that was _in the next room_, because this didn't just look like a hotel room, it looked like a hotel _apartment_. As she walked further in, she passed the bathroom to see a huge oval tub underneath a dark window, a shower on the side, and a huge mirror that went across the other side with two sinks beneath it. She couldn't help but squeal in delight and satisfaction at her temporary home. She walked into the bedroom, only to see that there were three steps about five feet from the bed that led down into a living room. There was a long couch in front of a flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall. To her right was what could be considered the dining room, with a little table that sat low to the ground, so people could sit on their knees. To her left was a huge window that overlooked the city of Tokyo.

"Wow…" she whispered, taking in the magnificent view the hotel offered. She got so excited she actually ran around her spacious room to really get the feel of it. She jumped on the bed, it being a bit firmer than she had expected, but it was still way more comfortable than the airplane seats. Grabbing a pillow, she hugged it close to her as she stared out the smaller window that was on the opposite wall from the entrance.

Tori must have been as jetlagged at Shiori said because without even realizing it, she fell asleep again.

* * *

><p>Her eyes snapped open. Except for the street lights outside, her room was pitch black. She sat up pretty quickly, immediately knowing that she slept the whole day away. Running her hand through her hair that desperately needed washed, she reached above the bed and pressed the little button that turned on a light above it.<p>

"How did I sleep so much?" she mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes and wondering what time it was.

Then she heard something. It sounded like a very light tapping, something she wouldn't have heard had she still been asleep. She thought it sounded like it came from the door, but as she slid off the bed, she wondered if she had heard anything at all.

Walking over to the door, she peered out the peephole and was a little shocked to see Beck standing in the hallway. She quickly opened the door.

"Hey," Beck said lowly, sheepishly, "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Tori shook her head, "No, I did just wake up though. I can't believe I slept all day."

"I hear ya. It's midnight."

"What?" Tori yelled, only after considering that everyone else on their floor was probably sleeping. She covered her mouth and ushered Beck into her room before someone came out and started yelling at her in a foreign language.

Beck laughed as he walked in. Tori closed the door and leaned against is, "Midnight, really? We lost a whole day?"

"Hey, remember, our bodies are still on stateside time, so day is night and night is day," Beck explained as he looked around her room, "Hey, your room looks just like mine except reversed."

"Yeah, I guess…" Tori agreed, ignoring his last statement, "We'll just have to make it the best Tuesday we can."

He glanced at her, "You mean Wednesday. We just slept Tuesday away."

Tori felt so confused by the time and day difference that she didn't even bother to question him. _Wasn't it just 2AM on Monday? And now it's midnight on Wednesday?_

"Anyway," Beck began a new topic, "I was looking through the brochure that was in my room and saw that they have an indoor pool. Wanna go check it out?"

"At midnight?"

"Sure, why not?"

Tori just stared at him. Was Beck really inviting her to go swimming at a time when it was certain that no one else would be in the pool? Didn't that seem a little…

_Personal? Dangerous?_

Was personal becoming dangerous?

"Well…?" he asked when she didn't give him an answer.

She sighed, "Yeah, let me just find my bathing suit."

He smiled, "Cool. I'll meet you down there, okay? When you get off the elevator, just go straight through the lobby and you'll see glass doors."

Tori was about to protest. _Why can't he just wait for me?_ But then thought better of it. She thought about having to take out all her clothes to find her suit in front of him, and then changing into it with him still in her room (granted, she would have gone into the bathroom, but still).

"Okay, see you in a few minutes," she said before he left her room. She grabbed her suitcase and unzipped it, practically tossing everything out to find the article she was looking for. When she found it, she felt her heart drop into her stomach.

It was a light green bikini. The top had the string that tied behind her neck so she wouldn't get a weird tan line on her shoulders…of course, she knew what kind of swimsuit she had, but she never imagined she would have to wear it in front of Beck—and _only_ Beck—at an indoor pool—where they were going to be the _only_ ones.

Tori sucked in a deep breath and blew out, causing her bangs to wave slightly. At least the bottoms looked more like a mini skirt. She quickly changed, examining herself in the full-body length mirror that was beside her bed. Of course Tori Vega didn't have a body to be anywhere near ashamed of, and she didn't particularly know why she felt nervous to go to the pool.

Either way, Beck was waiting for her, so she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and her room key, and made her way to the elevator. Reaching the first floor, she noticed how empty the whole lobby looked, with only two receptionists standing behind the counter, talking to each other quietly. They didn't even look her way as she walked through the lobby, spotting the glass doors Beck told her about.

Walking inside, the warm air immediately encircled her, the smell of chlorine hitting her nostrils, and the different air pressure causing her ears to dull a bit.

"There you are," Beck greeted her, her arms resting on the side of the pool as his chest and below stayed hidden under the water, "Come on in. The water's heated."

Tori gave a small smile, gripping onto the towel that she had wrapped around her a little tighter. She noticed that he didn't get his hair wet yet, so only his arms were shiny from the wetness.

It wasn't hard for Beck to notice her nervousness, and he couldn't help but smile. The thought passed his mind to swim a few laps until she got in the pool…but what fun would that be?

"Come on, get in," he urged, pushing himself off from the side to float back, "We'll play Marco Polo."

A sudden, loud laugh escaped from her mouth, and she quickly covered it as the sound echoed throughout the room.

He laughed at her sudden outburst, "What's so funny?"

She uncovered her mouth, shaking her head as she looked a little embarrassed, "Nothing, it's just…that used to be my favorite game when I was little. I would always beg Trina to play it with me…she would get so mad."

"Well you don't have to beg me," he announced, pushing himself with his arms to the middle of the pool, "I'm willing."

Tori grinned at his words and, losing her fleeting feeling of self-consciousness, dropped her towel and walked to the edge of the pool.

Beck stopped moving his arms, staring at her dainty form as her toes hung over the side. Maybe dainty wasn't the right word…graceful? Delicate? Tori definitely grew into herself from the very first time she sang at the showcase that got her into Hollywood Arts.

Before he could truly admire all of her, Tori plugged her nose and did a pencil dive feet first into the water. He watched as she resurfaced, her hands spreading over her face and then back through her wet hair.

She kept her eyes closed as she smiled playfully, "Marco."

He grinned and pushed himself further away from her, "Polo."

Tori swam in the direction of his voice and he slowly, so as not to make too many waves, continued to move back.

"Marco!"

In his best British accent, he replied: "Polo!"

She laughed again and Beck couldn't help but be totally taken away by the sound as it resonated around him.

Sinking herself under the water again, she pushed herself in his direction. He watched her squiggly form get closer to him until he was backed against the wall. Seeing that she was about to surface and be right in front of him, he managed to move himself to the side. Coming up for air, she gasped as she held onto the wall, "Marco."

He now used an Italian accent, sounding like he was making a pizza, "A-Polo!"

Hearing that he was to her right, she practically threw herself in his direction, splashing a big wave of water on him as she did so. Her hand just missed him, but he started laughing so she was able to keep track of him.

She threw herself at him again, this time succeeding in catching him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and instinctively, his arms came around her waist.

"Ha!" Tori opened her eyes, grinning at her victim, "Caught you!"

It didn't take her but an extra second to realize their closeness. Quickly pushing herself away from him and feeling her cheeks heat up, she ducked down to hide half of her face underwater. She only raised her mouth above water to say "Your turn" before lowering herself again.

Grinning, Beck closed his eyes, "Marco."

Tori raised her head above water again and squeaked out like a mouse: "Polo."

He began walking toward her, but she dived underwater again and swam the opposite way from where he was going. When she came back up, she turned around to see him still facing the other way.

"Marco."

She raised her voice like she was singing in the opera, _"Po-lo-!"_

Beck quickly turned around and began making his way toward her again, splashing up as much water as he could along the way. She held up her hands to shield her face, surprised at how fast he was coming at her.

"Marco!"

"Polo!" She yelled quickly, trying not to get any of the water in her mouth.

When she realized that he was really close to her, she started splashing water back at him. There was so much water going everywhere that she had her eyes closed as well, and was definitely going on the defense rather than swimming away. When he was right in front of her, she screamed in excitement and turned around to try to get away, but it was too late. He pounced on her, causing both of them to go under.

They came up fairly quickly, both pretty much out of breath and needing to laugh at their silliness.

Tori rubbed the water out of her eyes, blinking a few times to make sure. She laughed again, "I can't believe this."

Beck ran a hand back through his hair before shaking his head back and forth in an attempt to air dry, "What?"

"That the first thing we did in Japan was play Marco Polo."

"Gotta start somewhere."

She watched him as he kept messing with his hair. Finally, she swam over to him and messed her fingers in his hair to make it go wild. When she was done with him, he looked like he belonged in an eighties rock group.

"Looks good?" he asked her, dropping his hands so he wouldn't touch it anymore.

Tori nodded once, "Perfect!" She dunked her head back quickly to get her hair straight, "So tell me, Mr. Planner, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" She asked, remembering how he told her about everything going on when they were at Kara_OKAAAAY_.

"Well, we can either hit up some stores or go to one of the parks around here to maybe catch a Japanese style wedding."

"Or we can do both," Tori offered, "We gonna call Shiori to show us around?"

Beck shrugged, "Sure, if you want."

"Well, she did tell us to keep in touch so she—," Tori suddenly had a realization and all the color drained from her face, "Oh shit…"

Beck panicked from her sudden change in mood, "What, what?"

"I forgot to set up my laptop for video chat! I promised Andre that that would be the first thing I do…" She groaned.

Beck's shoulders slumped when he realized it was nothing serious, "Is that all? Just tell him you passed out from the plane ride and didn't get a chance."

"I guess…" Tori trailed off before pushing herself to the side of the pool, "But maybe I should go set that up now…incase he's waiting for me…"

Beck only watched her as she pulled herself out of the pool, his heartbeat quickening when he was able to see all of her out of the water again (this time it was better because she was all wet).

_Man, she's gorgeous…_

"You coming?" she asked as she bent down to get her towel. She wrapped it around her body again.

"Um, no…I think I'm gonna stay a little longer."

"Okay," she began walking toward to the exit, but turned around one last time, "See you for breakfast?"

He smiled, "Of course."

Then she left him alone to cool down.

()()()()()()()

Hello! So you guys should be super happy, because despite all the homework I had to do before my trip, I still made time to write this. And it was a long one, too!

The Marco Polo scene was inspired by the Youtube video of Victoria and Avan playing Marco Polo. It was cute, so I turned it into words.

I saw that the very last episode of iCarly is airing in November. =( Makes me sad.

Anyway, thanks for all your reviews! See you soon!


	8. The Cause

**Final Project**

**VII.**

The next morning, Tori called Shiori first thing to ask her if she could take her and Beck around the city so they could do some shopping and site-seeing. Shiori said she was more than happy to do so and that she would be over in about forty-five minutes. That gave Tori enough time to get ready and head a couple doors down to get Beck.

She was just about to knock on his door when she heard a female's voice coming from inside his room. She barely made out a conversation between the female and Beck, and curiosity got the better of her.

_This is so wrong_. She thought to herself as she pressed her ear against his door. It didn't take her long to realize that the voice belonged to Jade, and that Beck must have been video-chatting with her.

"I can't really talk that long," she heard Beck telling her, "We're probably gonna get breakfast and head out to the city soon."

"What do you mean _we're_?" Jade asked, her voice rising enough where Tori could hear her almost perfectly.

Beck sighed heavily, "Please don't start…"

"Oh, what? Your girlfriend can't be curious about who you're referring to when you say—."

"Jade, you know very well who I mean. Who else would I mean?"

"Why can't you say her name to my face?"

Tori bit down on her bottom lip and closed her eyes in despair. She hated that she seemed to be the cause of all of Beck and Jade's arguments, and it made her feel even worse that she was listening in on one of their conversations about _her-who-must-not-be-named_.

"Tori," Beck finally said, causing Tori to jump when she thought she was caught. But then she realized he was only saying her name to Jade, "I'm going to have breakfast and go hang out with Tori. Happy?"

"Not. One. Bit."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Beck replied, not sounding sorry in the least, "But I'm gonna get going now, so maybe I'll catch you later on here, all right?"

"Beck…Beck, don't you dare—!"

Then Tori heard his laptop close. She took her ear away from the door and stood up straight, wondering if she should go back to her room for a few minutes or just knock and pretend she didn't hear any of it.

Before she could decide on either, however, Beck flung open his door. Both of them paused, surprised to come face to face with each other.

Tori immediately put on a happy smile and did an exaggerated wave, "Morning! Just came by to ask if you wanted to get breakfast!"

Beck's shoulders slumped and he pointed his finger behind him, "You heard all that?"

"No!" She answered quickly, before trying to retaliate so as not to sound so jumpy, "No, heard what? I don't know what you're talking about, I just got here," She was going to leave it at that, but seeing the way he was looking at her, it made her shoulders slump, too, "Okay, yeah, I heard a little bit. But it's no big deal, just forget about it. Let's go get breakfast."

He continued to stare at her, almost blankly, for a few more seconds before shaking his head, checking his jean pockets for his wallet and room key, and then shutting his door. He walked toward the elevator.

Tori felt her heart skip a beat when she thought he was mad at her for eves dropping. For some reason, the thought of him being upset with her struck a nerve that made her an uneasy mess.

She followed him to the elevator, watching him press the down button, "I'm really sorry, Beck."

Beck leaned his back against the wall as he waited for the elevator to reach the third floor. He crossed his arms and put one foot up on the wall, his eyes staring up to the ceiling, "There's no reason for you to be sorry."

Tori simply stood there looking at him. She could tell from his voice that he was telling the truth, and that his attitude had nothing to do with her listening in on his conversation. His thoughts were all focused on what Jade said and how she was behaving, and for some reason, this made her feel just as bad.

Seeing him stand there like that was definitely not very Beck-like. There was something very distraught and irritated in his demeanor, and usually, even when he was those things, he didn't let it show quite this much.

He looked closed, especially with his arms crossed like that, and Tori _hated_ it. Never before had she felt such a strong urge to pry his arms open and bury herself against him to allow her to soak up all his problems.

But, of course, she had to remember…that _she_, technically, was his problem.

"Beck…"

He blinked and his eyes moved from the ceiling to her. And he was doing more than looking_ at_ her…he seemed to be looking _in_ her. His eyes were so penetrating that she could feel him digging beneath her skin and her body was on fire and she didn't know why she couldn't break her eyes away from his, and she just never expected to start her day like this.

And then the elevator dinged and the doors opened up. As if that moment didn't just happen, they both got on and watched the doors close.

"I called Shiori," Tori said, as if they had a full conversation before that, "She said she would drive us around the city for awhile."

"Cool," Beck responded, also as if what just happened on the third floor never occurred, "You get to talk to Andre last night?"

Tori nodded, sticking her hair behind her ear, "Yeah, he tried reaching me four times and left me tons of messages. So when I requested a chat from him, he answered immediately, saying he had been waiting for me."

Beck grinned, just imagining Andre sitting in front of the computer, obsessing over the thought of where his girlfriend was, "You explain to him what happened?"

"Yeah, he understood," she said, but then shot a quick glance at Beck, because they both knew that Jade, in fact, _did not_ understand.

Still, Beck held his smile for her, "Good; I'm glad."

And the elevator dinged again and the doors opened.

And that's when Tori decided. She knew she had to make this a super awesome day for Beck, if only to get his mind off of Jade. She had to wonder if it was odd that she felt like she had to take his mind off his girlfriend, but lately, that seemed to be the only thing to make him happy. So even though she had no idea where they would end up today, she was determined to make it as enjoyable as could be.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Tori didn't have to try too hard. With Shiori's fun nature and Beck and Tori's curiosity about all the new things, all three of them ended up having a blast. Shiori took them to a large, ten-story mall to allow them to look at clothes, souvenirs, and other specialty shops. They had fun trying on different outfits for each other. In fact, if this were a movie, there would be a music montage going on as they did so (maybe "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne).<p>

They got some sushi for a late lunch, and then Shiori said she would help them drop all the things they purchased off at the hotel and then take them to a park that was a few blocks away from there, called Rikugien. She had classes that started at four, so she wouldn't be able to show them around, but she said that Rikugien had one of the most beautiful, classic Japanese landscapes in Tokyo, and that someone was always celebrating something there.

So Beck grabbed his camera when he dropped his things off in his room, hoping to see something he could capture on film. As it turned out, they got to see that traditional Japanese style wedding like that wanted.

"So beautiful," Tori remarked, as she watched tons upon tons of people, all the females dressed in gorgeous kimonos, following the new bride and groom. The bride wore her hair up in such a way that it looked layered three times over, with about five white butterfly clips ornamenting her hair. Her dress was white with hints of cherry blossom pink here and there, and she carried a large red umbrella to protect her from the sun.

After they viewed the wedding, they walked around the park to see what else they could find. They came across a wooden bridge that arched over a pond full of koi. Where the pond ended, there were tons of huge, colorful flowers that aligned the water, and even went up a small hill that consisted of a little waterfall.

They motioned to someone else in the park to take their picture by the flowers and waterfall. The guy agreed, and even though they spoke different languages, he gestured that he wouldn't take their picture unless Beck put his arm around Tori.

And Tori swore she would never forget that moment. She would always remember the soft sounds of the stream, the overwhelming smell of all the flowers, and Beck's warm arm around her shoulders. Almost in a joking manner, she wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his shoulder, smiling largely at the camera.

The man taking their photo looked quite happy as he gave the camera back, saying something in a very animated voice.

Once he walked away, Beck looked at the photo of the two of them and grinned, "I think he was saying that it was the best picture he's ever seen."

Tori laughed, "Let me see," she pulled the camera toward her a bit to see how her and Beck looked together.

_It is the best picture I've ever seen…_

"We'll have to post this one on The Slap," Beck commented, shutting off his camera for a minute.

Tori shot a look at him like he was crazy, "Yeah, and then Jade will make a voodoo doll of me and break my legs."

It sounded funny. But neither of them laughed. It sounded too Jade-like to be taken as a joke. And Beck _hated _how Tori didn't even feel comfortable enough to show a picture of the two of them because of Jade.

"Oh, man, that reminds me," Tori said as she took out her temporary phone to check the time, "I promised Andre that I would be available for video chat at seven o-clock my time. It's already a little past six."

"Our hotel's only right around the bend," Beck said, continuing to walk in the direction they were heading, instead of where they came from, "So you're still on _my_ time."

He winked at her as he said it, indicating that he was joking (but seriously, they still had a little bit of time), but it still made Tori's face heat up. She got a sensation in her stomach that she wasn't used to feeling, and it made her somehow subconsciously wish that she could always be on Beck's time.

Without another thought, Tori followed Beck forward. _Andre will understand if I'm a little late…_

* * *

><p>They didn't arrive back at the hotel until 7:45. Not only did they get engrossed in all the other sites at the park, but they miscalculated how long it took them to get from the park to the hotel. And not only <em>that<em>, but they got turned around a few times and even passed the hotel once because everything still looked the same to them.

"Andre's going to kill me!" Tori said, bouncing from foot to foot as they went up the elevator.

Beck shook his head, "I highly doubt that. Who knows, maybe he's not even on right now."

Tori gave him a look that said she seriously doubted that, and practically flew from the elevator when the doors opened.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later?" Beck asked as he watched Tori search for her room key.

Once she found it, she slipped it into the slot and opened her door. But she didn't step in. She turned to look at Beck, who was just standing there with his hands in his jean pockets. The camera that hung around his neck gave him a certain kind of air that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she liked the look on him.

She smiled, "We didn't eat dinner yet. How about I text you when I'm done talking to Andre and we'll grab something?"

Beck returned her smile; "Sounds perfect."

She nodded and then walked into her room. As soon as her door clicked shut, Beck turned back to the elevators. He had already made up his mind that he didn't want to go back to his room. Because if he did that, then he might see some missed calls or messages from Jade. He might even see her still trying to reach him. And if he was in the room, it would make him feel guilty enough to answer her. And he already knew that she had an argument built up from how he cut her off this morning. And he just wasn't in the mood.

()()()()()()

Hello! I'm so sorry for the delay, but I've been pretty busy with traveling and homework. And I know this chapter was kind of uneventful, but I have some stuff planned for the next chapter. Beck's probably gonna tell Tori what's on his mind and Tori will probably continue to think that Andre won't mind her being continuously late. We're getting there, people! I swear! Thanks for all your reviews!


	9. Why!

**Final Project**

**VIII.**

"I'm almost done writing another song, so I'll perform it for you tomorrow night when we talk," Andre told Tori as they were nearing the end of their conversation. Japan was twelve hours ahead of Argentina, and it was going on nine o-clock, PM for Tori, AM for Andre. Andre said he got paired up with a dude named Rob, and they planned on starting their day around 9:30.

"You get up so early to talk to me," Tori commented at one point.

"You're worth it, Baby Girl."

If anything, his words always made her smile.

"Can't wait," Tori responded to his song performance statement, "Is it about me?"

They grinned at each other as he said: "You know it."

"Okay, well, you have fun today. Tell me all about it later," Tori told him, flipping all her hair over her right shoulder. She was lying on her stomach on her bed with her upper body propped up on her elbows.

Andre seemed entranced by her for a moment, "Definitely. Stay beautiful. Goodnight, Baby Girl. I love you."

She put her folded hands up to her cheek and rested her head on them, trying to look cute for him, "Love you, too, Andre. Goodnight."

As soon as she closed her laptop, she flipped over on her back and pulled out her phone.

**Tori: Hey sorry it took so long! Ready to eat?**

**Beck: Perfect timing.**

She was about to text back asking what was so perfect about it when she heard a knock on her door. Rolling off her bed, she ran over to the door on her tiptoes and opened it.

Beck was standing there holding up two bags, "I come bearing gifts."

The smell coming from the bags indicated that he brought food.

"Mm, I'm starving!" She said, as she took one bag and stepped out of the way for him to come in, "But I thought we were gonna go out to eat."

"Well, I noticed a couple of places across the street and thought I'd surprise you. I bought a movie, too, so we could do dinner and a movie."

Tori jumped down the couple steps that lead into her living room/dining room, putting the food on the low table, "Japanese movie?"

"Yeah, it's called "Panty Mask." When Tori shot him a weird look, Beck shrugged and looked at the pictures on the back of the DVD, "From what I can see, it's about a super heroine that wear's leather panties on her face."

Tori put her hand on her hip, "Why in the world would you get that?"

Beck held it out to her, "Because America wouldn't make anything like this. We want to see what their movies are like, right?"

Tori took the movie and chuckled at the ridiculous pictures, "I guess, but couldn't you have just gotten "Godzilla?"

"Done way too many times," Beck took back the DVD and went to the TV to figure out how to work it, "Besides, we might get a pretty good laugh from this."

Tori shook her head and got the food out of the bag for them to get ready for their dinner and a movie…get-together (for it was certainly not a date!), "Men…"

"Hey!" Beck countered, popping in the DVD and then taking the bowl full of kimchi ramen that Tori handed to him, "This movie might prove that us men have good taste."

They sat down on the couch and Tori said slowly, "We'll see…."

As it turned out, the movie, if anything, was very amusing. It was about an old western town that was totally populated by cute girls and nuns who killed off the entire male population. And by the end of the movie, when there was a complete music finale of "Ten Little Indians," Beck and Tori were laughing at the oddity of it all and kept asking, _"Why?"_

As the credits were rolling, they both sat back against the couch trying to catch their breath. Beck was sitting against the left side of the couch, turned sideways with his one leg folded up on the cushion, and Tori was more in the middle of the couch, slumped down with her hands on her stomach from laughing so much.

"You think we can do that for our performance for school?" Tori asked, grinning over at him.

"What, wear leather bikinis and panties on our faces?" Beck laughed.

Tori threw her head back in more laughter, just imagining it, "I'm sure we'll get an A just because they won't know what to think."

Beck grinned while watching her, glad that she had the sense of humor to enjoy such a movie so much. He knew Jade would have turned the movie off within the first two minutes and insist they watch "Ringu" instead. This led him to imagine Jade coming out of the computer screen all creepy-like, like how the girl did in "The Ring."

"I'm thinking of breaking up with Jade."

And thus, the random statement that ruins the moment.

Tori immediately stopped laughing and looked at him disbelievingly, "What? Why?"

Beck rubbed his forehead and put his elbow on the back of the couch, "Because she—."

Tori suddenly sat up straight and held at her hands to tell him to stop, "No way, Beck, you can't break up with her while you're _here_!"

"Well, I was gonna go back to my room and do it…"

"No!" She turned toward him, "I mean in Japan! If you do, then she's going to think it's because of _me_, and _that_!..." Tori shook her head and crossed her arms like she was cold, "that's not what I need her thinking."

Beck stared at her, seeing how worried she looked, "But Tor, you know it's not—."

"It doesn't matter what _I _know," poking herself in the chest with her thumb, "And you know very well that Jade will blame me for it!"

Beck sighed and sat forward, burying his face in his hands, "And that's part of the reason I want to break up with her. It's only about what _she wants_ to believe, whether it's true or not."

Seeing how tore up he was from this, her shoulders slumped and she squeezed her hands between her knees, "I'm sorry…I should be more supportive."

"No…" Beck shook his head and lifted his face from his hands, "You don't have to be anything…and I don't even know why I brought it up to you."

Tori bit her bottom lip and continued to feel terrible about her initial reaction. She didn't mean to only think about herself in this situation; it was Beck's relationship, not hers. And even though she knew she would still feel the effects of it somehow, she had to think more about Beck's feelings.

"Hey," she said to make him look at her, "was Jade acting like this before the final project pairings were listed?"

Beck thought about it for a moment before tilting his hand back and forth, "Ehh…kinda. I mean, not _this_ bad, you know? But she still definitely had her Jade-moments."

Tori tried to offer a small smile, "Well, it must not have been that bad if you only recently thought about breaking up with her."

He leaned back against the couch again, looking almost defeated, "No, I have my own set of reasons why I didn't break up with her before…"

Her mouth formed to ask the question "why?" But she stopped herself. She remembered the night he called before they left for Japan, and how she asked "why?" against her will. She had to refrain. _If he didn't tell her on his own, he probably didn't want her to know…right? I mean, guys don't do that, do they? Pry people to ask questions so they can talk…only girls do that._

Beck had been looking at her from his peripheral vision the whole time, however. He saw her pause with her mouth slightly open and knew what she wanted to ask.

He closed his eyes, "You wanna know why?"

Tori blinked, feeling her heart rate increase with each passing second. _Why? Why? WHY?_ She tossed the question around in her head like she wanted to scream it. She wanted to know why she was so scared to ask it; she wanted to know why to his reasons; she wanted to know why he wanted her to know….she wanted to know why—_why_—why he went back to Jade so quickly after…

"Why?" The question came out of her mouth in almost a whisper.

He didn't open his eyes. She watched him swallow hard, his Adam's apple going up and back down. Her eyes became so entranced on his throat that she almost forgot what they were talking about. She couldn't help but think of how gorgeous he looked sitting there, with his neck exposed, his soft hair hanging to his neck, and his body…how it looked so good in the clothes he was wearing…his normal outfit, just a pair of jeans and a grey wife-beater under a plaid unbuttoned shirt…

And then Tori's computer beeped, indicating that someone was messaging her. She looked over the couch at the computer that was still sitting on her bed. She wasn't sure if she wanted to throw it out the window or be glad it broke her from her trance.

When she looked back at Beck, he was already looking at her, "You gotta get that?"

"Um…yeah," she pulled out her phone and checked the time, "It's already after midnight…"

Beck nodded but paused a long moment before forcing himself to stand, "I guess I'll get going."

Tori stood up and followed him up the steps and to her door. She watched him open it, Tori grabbing a hold of it to keep it from closing, when he turned around one last time.

"See you in the morning?"

She folded her lips in and nodded her head, knowing that she should say something, but her throat couldn't sound out anything at the moment.

Forcing a small smile, Beck nodded once also, but continued to linger in the doorway. He didn't know what else he expected, he just knew he didn't want to go back to his room, even now. Tori also didn't know what else to expect, but she didn't want him to rush any more than he wanted to.

He ran his hand back through his hair and looked her right in the eyes, causing Tori to blush and throw her eyes to the floor in a hurry. He sighed quietly, apologized (she wasn't sure _why_), then finally walked down the hall toward his room.

Tori closed her door with ease, leaning her back against the door with her palms pressed against it, too. She had no idea what just happened, but it left her feeling more confused than she's felt in two years. She could tell that Beck was torn between what to do, and she didn't like seeing him like that. It reminded her of the night that Beck and Jade broke up at her house, and how he looked sad, but satisfied.

Her computer beeped again, and she practically dragged herself over to her bed to see who was messaging her.

It was Cat.

**Cat: Toooorrrrriiii! Put your face on the screen and talk to me!**

**Cat: Hellllooooo!**

Though any other time she would have been more than happy to talk to her best friend, she just wasn't in the mood to talk period. She couldn't find the right words to describe anything at the moment. She just wanted to get ready for bed and pass out.

()()()()()()

Hello everyone! Guess what? Today's my birthday! Yay, I'm 25 and that means my insurance will go down. I had this chapter pre-written, so don't worry, I didn't take time out of my day. I do have tons of homework that I'm doing, and thought I'd break for a moment to post this.

I wanted to again thank everyone…the 109 of you that put this story on alert, the 58 of you that have it on your favorites list, and about the 15 of you that review every chapter pretty regularly. ^_^ You guys are awesome.


	10. Numb

**Final Project**

**IX.**

Tori couldn't sleep for over half the night. Every little sound she heard made her think that it was Beck knocking on her door. It caused her to constantly get up from bed and walk over to stare out the little peephole…only to find an empty hallway.

She considered texting or calling him, but figured he was sleeping peacefully; exactly what she should be doing.

Finally, the last time she looked at the clock when it read 4:23, she fell asleep. Only for her eyes to snap open to see the clock reading 9:02. At first, she wondered what woke her up so abruptly, but the more her brain began to wake up, she could hear the soft sound of a kind of blooping ringtone going off from her computer. Someone wanted to video chat with her.

Reaching over for her computer that was beside her, she turned it to face her. The name she saw on the screen made her prop herself up quickly.

**Call from: Jade**

_What does she want…? Oh man, did Beck break up with her already? No, no, no, no…this isn't good._

So she thought about ignoring it. But would that make whatever was going on worse?

Reluctantly, she slid her finger over the mouse and tapped down once to accept. Jade's face popped up on the screen.

"Vega!" She yelled with a scowl, but then looked at her in disgust, "God, you look like you just got hit by a truck."

Tori smacked herself in the front of the face before running her hand through her hair in an attempt to wake up and look more presentable, "I didn't get too much sleep…"

"Why?"

Tori paused and stared at her frenemy. _How is it that it's so easy for her to ask that?_

"Just…couldn't."

"Where's Beck?" Ah, so she was getting to the point of why she was video chatting with Tori.

Pushing her hair behind her ear, Tori shrugged, "I don't know…in his room? I just woke up, so I—."

"He's not answering any of my messages or calls."

Tori closed her eyes and flopped back on her pillow. _So instead of breaking up with her, he just chooses to keep his computer off? Thanks, Beck…_

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Tell me why he's ignoring me."

Tori sat up again and looked Jade right in her eyes, "Jade, I think he should be the one to—."

"_Tell me!"_ Jade snapped, a wild look in her eyes. Tori couldn't have been happier that they had so much distance between them. Jade suddenly pointed her finger to the side as if she knew which direction Beck was from Tori's room, "Tell me or go get him. I _need_ to talk to him."

Tori blinked a few times, wondering what to do. Should she go get Beck? Would he be mad at her for basically forcing him to talk to his girlfriend? Should she just hang up on Jade like Beck did the previous morning? But what would the consequences of that action be? Although they were in two different countries now, they would come face to face again in a few weeks. It's not like it could be avoided.

Rolling off her bed, Tori stood on wobbly legs, "I'll be right back."

Instead of telling her thank you, Jade yelled from behind her: "Hurry up!"

Tori rolled her eyes and propped the deadbolt out on her door so it didn't lock behind her. She was glad no one else was wandering the halls at the moment, because she was sure she looked as bad as Jade announced.

Which reminded her…she was about to knock on Beck's door looking like a mess.

Groaning, she mashed her hands in her hair as she tried to straighten it and poof it at the same time, wondering if it made her hair look any more natural. Whatever. She just wanted to tell Beck and get on with her life.

She knocked pretty loudly on his door. Jade told her to hurry up, and that's what she was trying to do. Luckily, Beck answered the door within a few seconds. He looked like he had only gotten a few hours of sleep as well.

"Tori?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, "Time to go already?"

"Your girlfriend's on my computer demanding you talk to her," Tori said bluntly.

Beck paused very quickly and lowered his hands, "You answered her call?"

"Yeah! I mean…she woke me up, I wasn't really thinking…but either way, are you avoiding her?"

Beck sighed and leaned against the doorway, "I'm just sick of it, Tori…"

Her eyes softened when she saw how defeated he looked, "Look, I know it probably seems easier to ignore it all right now, but sometimes…you really have to face what's standing in your way, you know?"

He now leaned his head again the doorway, staring at her from between his hairs that hung in front of his face, "That sounds way too deep for this early in the morning."

Tori offered a small smile, "Just talk to her, okay? She at least deserves that much."

Continuing to stare at her for a few more seconds as he considered it, he finally pushed himself to stand straight up, "I'll never understand how you can be so nice to someone that's so mean to you…but it's pretty amazing."

She looked down to the floor upon hearing the compliment, pushing her hair behind her ear, "So you'll do it?"

"Yeah…let me just turn on my computer."

"All right…just come and get me when you're ready, kay?" Tori was already walking back to her room.

"Sure," Beck replied before shutting his door.

Tori walked back into her room, undoing the deadbolt to close the door.

"Well?" Jade asked when she saw Tori again.

"He said he'll be on in a minute," Tori said, flopping back on her bed and running her finger over the mouse to close out the call.

"Wait!" Jade stopped her, "You're staying on here until he does. I don't want you pulling any fast ones on me."

Tori raised an eyebrow, "Whatever you say, Jade." And so they sat there staring at each other. It made Tori feel a bit awkward, so she asked: "So how are you liking England?"

"Shut up!" Jade snapped, and then: "There he is." And then the video chat ended.

Over in Beck's room, Beck propped his computer on the small desk that was beside his bedroom window and slumped in the seat.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Jade asked as soon as she answered his video request.

"Of course not," Beck half lied, not even moving from his slouched position, "Just been busy doing, you know, what we're supposed to do."

Jade knew he meant for school, but her initial reaction was still to snap questions at him. Instead, she bit her tongue and rubbed her forehead, "Look, Beck, I just wanted to apologize."

Beck's eyebrows raised up a bit, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I've been freaking out about something that you had no control over. Either way, I'm here, you're there…with Tori, but either way…we're stuck with where we are for the next few weeks and I don't want to fight with you the whole time."

Closing his eyes, Beck let his head fall back so he was facing the ceiling. _Why did she always have to do this?_ She somehow just _knew_ when Beck was at his last straw with her, and that would cause her to drop how she'd been acting and become a completely different person.

"Beck?"

He brought his head up again and looked at her.

"I know I've been a gank this last week…but do you forgive me?" She gave him a look that only he's had the pleasure of seeing: the soft look; the insecure look...the loving look.

Sighing, he forced a tired smile, "Yes, Jade. It's fine."

* * *

><p>It was only about an hour later when Tori heard a knocking on her door. She had forced herself to shower and dress as soon as Jade hung up on her, but once that was all done, she only had her bed to relax on, thus, she fell asleep again.<p>

Tori was only expecting Beck when she answered the door, so was surprised to see a cute Japanese girl in her doorway. She wore small, rectangular neon pink glasses that seemed to just barely cover her eyes, and her hair was pulled back into a bun with a huge pink flower-comb piece ornamenting the top. She wore a short, bright-pink kimono that stopped above her knees, and soft pink flats to top off the outfit.

"Um…hello?" Tori started.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" The girl exclaimed, and it was only then that Tori recognized her as Shiori.

Bouncing into Tori's room, Tori looked at her in astonishment, "Shiori? Wow…you look completely different…"

Giggling, Shiori leaned against the desk, "Yeah, I try to look different for different occasions. It's fun to be different but still be you, ya know? The more you get to know me, the more you'll see the many sides to me."

Tori smiled, being reminded of Cat more than ever, "That sounds like fun."

"It is! Maybe I'll do you over while you're here. Like I told you before, I _am_ a fashion designer and make-up artist," Shiori sat down and spun around in the swivel chair, "Wow, Tori-chan, you got it made! This place is beautiful!"

Tori plopped down on her bed, "So did you have anything planned for us today? I didn't get much sleep, so I need to get out of here and do—."

"Perfect! I'll take you to Shi-chan's and you can try the best coffee ever! It'll wake you up, believe me!" Shiori spotted all the bags full of the things that Tori bought the previous day. Jumping up, Shiori grabbed a few and began rummaging through them, "Oh yeah, there's a night festival going on tomorrow night that you guys will want to see. You wanna get a feel for our culture," she looked over and shoulder and winked at Tori, "you'll definitely get it there."

Tori perked up upon hearing this, "Wow, that sounds awesome! What should I wear?"

"This!" Shiori pulled a long, slim, bright red kimono with brilliant golden flowers all of it from one of the bags.

Tori's eyes almost popped out of her head, "Where did that come from?"

"I got it for you," Shiori announced as if it were nothing, "I knew the festival was coming up and wanted to get you a gift. I thought you would have discovered it by now."

"No, I…" Tori was still in shock at how beautiful the outfit was, "I didn't really get a chance. Thank you so much though…"

Shiori giggled, "Not a problem! I'll come over here kinda early, too, to do your hair and make-up. You're gonna look stunning!"

Tori felt the firm fabric between her fingers, "You think?"

"Girl, you'll be leaving Beck breathless!"

Hearing this, Tori shot her eyes away and could feel her face heating up. Why did she have to bring Beck up? But then she wondered…how did it go for him…talking with Jade and all? Did he end up breaking up with her? Was he upset? Was he sad? Did he need someone to talk to?

As if on cue, there was another knock on her door.

"I'll get it!" Shiori yelled excitedly as she skipped to the door. She smiled widely when she saw it was indeed Beck at the door, "_Ohayou gozaimasu_, Beck! We were just talking about you!"

Beck raised an eyebrow, only knowing it was Shiori by her voice, also, "Oh yeah…?"

Tori quickly stood from the bed, "No we weren't!" She laughed nervously, "I mean, not really, no, we weren't…Shiori said she was going to take us to get coffee!"

"That. Sounds. Perfect." Beck said slowly, never being happier to get coffee than that moment.

* * *

><p>Shi-chan's did, like Shiori said, have the best coffee ever. They somehow knew how to put in about six shots of espresso without making the coffee taste bitter. The flavors they got, Tori getting white mocha and Beck getting caramel, mixed in perfectly with the natural coffee beans that were freshly ground up; and the only reason they were disappointed was because they didn't have a Shi-chan's back in California.<p>

The coffee successfully woke them up, then Shiori invited them back over to her house. She wanted to show them a natural home environment where her parents and two younger siblings lived. They were almost surprised to see that Shiori's mother was American, but then she explained to them that her real mother died when she was only an infant, but that Naomi took over as her mother for as long as she could remember. So even though her two siblings, Tama and Someya, were only half-siblings to Shiori, Shiori said she never felt left out.

All day long, Tori couldn't help but notice how…_normal_ Beck was acting. It was like the normal that someone acts when things really shouldn't be normal. It was like she didn't know what subjects to bring up to him, because she had no idea what happened between him and Jade. He was letting on no clues. He didn't seem sad, he didn't seem regretful, he didn't seem happy…just _normal_.

Every now and then, Tori would try to start a conversation that would maybe help her know what happened without Beck actually having to tell her, but he seemed to be very careful to not let on anything. Finally, she just gave up on it. If he didn't want to discuss it with her, then she wasn't going to push it.

Tori and Beck were both really happy meeting Shiori's family, though. Her two younger sisters wanted to show them everything, from the pond out back, to the toys in their room, to the dojo their father, Shinichi, helped them practice their katana skills in. Naomi asked them to stay for dinner, where they experienced a homemade Japanese meal.

Shiori didn't end up dropping them off at the hotel until nearly nine o-clock. Tori hadn't even though about the time until then, and wondered if Andre missed her at seven. She didn't feel too terrible about it, however, since she was with someone besides Beck this time (and this somehow eased her conscious).

Tori and Beck reached the third floor, Tori, like usual, reaching her room first.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you tomo—," Beck started.

"Wanna watch a little TV before you go to bed?" Tori asked, so abruptly and randomly that she had to grind her teeth together and pull her mouth back, hoping it didn't come off sounding as pathetic and desperate as it sounded to her.

To her surprise, he answered like he didn't notice her abruptness, "Yeah, definitely. Maybe we'll find "Panty Mask 2" or something."

Tori rolled her eyes playfully but they both shared a laugh as she unlocked her door. She clicked on the lamp above her bed to light up the room a bit, "I'm gonna get changed into something more comfortable real quick. Is that okay?"

"No problem," Beck said, already going down to her living room area.

Grabbing her pajamas, Tori went into the bathroom to change. The bottoms were white pajama capris that had Japanese symbols down each side (Shiori told her they said "Shine" which Tori fell in love with, for obvious reasons) and the top was a white tank with the same symbols on the front.

When she came out, she saw that he was standing in front of the large windows in the living room that overlooked the city. Taking it a deep breath, she walked up beside him.

"Pretty amazing view, huh?" She asked, staring at all the lights that illuminated Tokyo, but still seeing his reflection in the glass.

"Yeah…kinda makes you wanna stay here forever, right?" Beck said, putting his left hand on the glass as he stared down at the street below.

Tori smiled, "I wouldn't mind."

Beck didn't respond this time, so they continued to stand there, contentedly, admiring all the bright advertisements on buildings and the large signs that they had no idea what they said.

Finally, though, curiosity got the better of her. Biting her bottom lip, she turned toward him slightly and leaned against the glass, "So what happened earlier?"

"Nothing," came his simple answer.

Tori blinked, not sure how to take that, "Well…how do you feel?"

"Numb," came his next answer. This one, however, wasn't so simple. He averted his eyes from outside to her. Then back out again.

Never before had such a small word have such an impact on her. It shattered her heart into a million pieces to hear him say that, and her nose stung something fierce from trying to hold back the tears that she wanted to spill for him.

Beck sighed when he realized how depressing he sounded, "I guess me and Jade are still together, but it's never felt quite like this before…this numb feeling. It's like I'm not mad at her insecurities and jealousy, and I'm not happy that she apologized for those earlier. It's…you know, _nothing_."

Tori bit her bottom lip, wishing she had an answer to give him. _Anything._ But what could anyone say to that? If a person feels nothing, how do you cheer them up? How do you take their mind off of…_nothing_?

Beck put his upper arm against the glass and pressed his forehead to his arm, still looking out at Tokyo, "Even the familiarity is gone. You know how sometimes the only reason you hang on to something is because of the memories? It's like having that one toy from childhood that you don't play with anymore, but you still can't find the will power to separate from it only because you remember all the fun you had with it before. …_That _feeling…that feeling's not even there anymore."

Tori swallowed hard and blinked her vision back, for his words seemed to be sending her into some sort of movie-like trance.

Beck continued: "And it's not even like—."

And then…Tori's computer, again, interrupted them. The blooping sound from the bedroom was telling her she was getting a video chat, and she was almost positive it was Andre, since she didn't talk to him earlier.

Beck looked at her, wondering if she was going to answer it.

And Tori knew that she should answer…especially if it was Andre. But Beck seemed to need her so he could spill out some of these _nothing_ feelings so that he could go back to feeling _something_. And that was more important to her than talking on video chat right now.

When the blooping stopped and Tori was still standing in front of him, he continued as if he was never interrupted in the first place: "And it's not even like I want to feel nothing. I'm trying to hold on…but man, a relationship is hard work when your heart's not in it, ya know?"

Tori tried so hard to force a smile, but her muscles simply would not allow it and she ended up frowning deeply instead. Anyone who was anyone could tell that there was no hope for Beck and Jade now, and yet she said: "I bet it'll all go back to normal when you see her again."

Beck didn't really seem surprised by her statement. Just sarcastically remarked: "Yeah. Normal."

Tori looked down, embarrassed at the fact that that was all she had to say. What else was there? _Sorry for all that time you wasted on her? Sorry it's over? Sorry, but you'll be happier without her anyway?_

"Let's watch TV, kay?" was her next brilliant advice. Boy, was she one heck of a helper or what?

He continued to stare outside for a few more moments before nodding and relenting, "Sure."

Tori grabbed the remote and sat at one end of the couch, and actually felt her heart constrict when Beck sat way at the other end. She tried to ignore this feeling as she scrolled through the channels she couldn't even read anyway. Eventually, she did land on a movie that had subtitles, so they could at least at some idea of what was going on.

They didn't talk anymore, and Tori was almost scared to look over at him. Even _thinking_ about looking at him made her mind and heart go crazy. Her whole body craved to comfort him; to show him that he was way too good of a guy to be feeling _nothing._ She was his only friend for miles and miles and miles…it was her duty to help a friend in need, right?

But when she finally got up the courage to take a peek at him, she saw that he was fast asleep. He was slumped in the corner of the couch with his head tilted against the back. His one arm was resting over the arm of the chair, but his other hand covered his eyes like he was trying to block everything out. But Tori could still tell that his eyes were closed and he was sleeping by the way he was breathing.

"Beck?" she whispered loudly, but got no response.

She noticed that he got about as much sleep as she did the night before, and she was starting to feel her eyelids droop, too. She didn't want to wake him up or disturb him, so she went and pulled the blanket off her bed and brought it over to the couch. She laid one end of the blanket over him, and she sat in the middle of the couch…actually _debating_ one whether she should lay her head on the other arm of the couch…or on him.

Her cautiousness of the whole situation made her lay her head down on the couch, but she allowed her feet to touch the side of his leg…and that was enough intimacy to get her heart fluttering as she fell asleep.

()()()()()

I wanted to thank you all again for helping me reach 100 reviews! It's always a nice milestone to reach. Hope you enjoyed this slightly longer chapter! Next chapter should be about that festival. See you soon!


	11. Regrets

**Final Project**

**X.**

Beck shot his head up when a loud sound disturbed him from his sleep. Well, it wasn't exactly _loud_ and his sleep left a lot to be desired. He had been so tired earlier that his body didn't care what position he put it in, it was going to sleep. Feeling how drowsy he still was, he didn't think he slept for long.

As the sound continued, he finally realized that it was Tori's laptop, once again letting her know that she was being video chat requested.

"Damn, you're popular," Beck mumbled, sitting forward and wiping his hands all over his face in an attempt to wake up.

But Tori didn't answer. The TV was still on, though he could hardly hear it, but the glow that emitted throughout the room made his eyes squint from soreness. He looked at the other end of the couch to see her sleeping, her legs curled up into her chest. The blanket that he assumed she got was only covering her feet, but it was still over his lap.

When that damn infamous blooping stopped, the room filled with silence again, except for the low incoherent talking coming from the TV.

He wondered if he should go back to his room. His latest sleeping position wasn't helping him any, and he didn't want to just take over Tori's bed, even though she wasn't currently using it. Which made him wonder how she was sleeping like she was. The couch wasn't really comfortable to sit on for long periods of time, let alone to sleep on.

He didn't want her to wake up all sore, so figured he would try to wake her up enough to get her to move to the bed so he could leave without feeling guilty.

Leaning to the side, he lightly touched her shin and shook it gently, whispering loudly, "Tori."

She didn't even budge. He scooted a little bit closer to her, this time putting his hand on her knee and shaking, "Hey, Tori."

This time she groaned lowly and waved her hand at him like she was trying to shoo away a bug. Her hand reached down to try to blindly find the blanket, but when she wasn't able to retrieve it, her hand went limp and she fell asleep again.

_Man, she can sleep through anything when she's tired._ He didn't want to keep trying and failing, so he stood up in front of her, wrapping his one arm around her shoulders and the other one underneath her knees. As he picked her up, he realized that it was like lifting nothing at all because she was so light. He made sure to squeeze her close to him so her head would lean against his shoulder instead of falling back.

He carried her up the couple steps that lead to the bed, stepping up to the side of the bed to lay her down. But something stopped him before he did. Looking down at the girl in his arms, he noticed that her hair was extremely messy, but the way it framed her face made her look even more gorgeous than usual. Her hand was clenching his shirt, and he could feel and hear her heart beating steadily.

He very quickly realized that he was just standing there holding her, and in the embarrassment of wondering what she would think if she woke up to this, he leaned over to lay her down gently. In an attempt not to disturb her, he was basically leaning against her as he did, his arm that was around her shoulders momentarily trapped.

Beck felt Tori's breath hitch in his ear. It made him freeze, but whether in fright that she caught him putting her to bed (though he wasn't sure why he was frightened by that thought) or in a paralysis trance moment, he wasn't sure. He felt his skin get tight and heat up at the same time, and he never thought he could get goose bumps while being hot.

He knew he needed to move, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it yet. His face was by her neck, but he had to close his eyes when he continued to feel her steady breathing against his skin, in his ear, encircling his whole being.

_It's happening all over again…_

This is what he thought when a sudden burst of emotions exploded in a single instant. And if you ever went from feeling _nothing_ to feeling _everything_, you know that it's probably the best human experience ever.

Raising his head slightly, he found out how soft her cheek was against his own. His lips were now next to her ear and he wanted to tell her…tell her how much she amazed him everyday, tell her how much he adored her, tell her that she was all…

When he opened his lips to breathe, he felt her body clench underneath his. This sudden reaction caused his eyes to pop open and he backed away a bit. When he looked down at her, even though it was dark, he could still tell that her eyes were closed. Whether she was still deeply sleeping and her body was just reacting to what was going on or not, he wasn't sure, but something else did occur to him: He was way too close to his best friend's girlfriend. Even though he didn't do anything, he still couldn't imagine Andre being very happy with the current situation.

Quickly, so as not to linger at all, he pulled himself away from her and exited the room.

As soon as she heard the door shut, Tori snapped her eyes open and stared into the darkness. Then she turned on her side, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it against her chest as she curled herself into a ball again.

And as soon as Beck entered his room, his laptop was going off to indicate a video request.

"Don't people have anything better to do?" He asked himself somewhat bitterly, but when he stepped in front of his laptop to see who it was from, his heart dropped into his stomach.

**Call from: Andre**

_Shit! Does he know?_ Of course, that would be impossible, unless he hired someone to install cameras in Tori's room so he could watch everything that went on in there.

_It's Andre, not Jade…_He had to remind himself. Sighing, he clicked on the accept button and Andre came on the screen.

"What's up, Man?" Beck asked as he slouched in the chair.

"Dude, Tori's not answering _any_ of my video requests. What have you guys been doing this whole time?" Andre asked, obviously a bit angered, but still trying to keep his cool.

Beck raised his hands in an attempt to calm him down, "Chill out, everything's fine. We just happened to spend the whole day with our guide chick and she took us over to—."

"Oh!" Andre suddenly interrupted him, "Hey, there's Tori now! Gotta go!" And then Andre ended the call.

Beck sat there, totally dumbfounded. _Tori just called Andre? Which means she's still awake…or did she happen to wake up when I closed her door?_ His heart started beating faster when his mind went back to the moment right before he left. _She must have been awake…her reactions basically prove it._

He stood up quickly, hating himself for even giving himself the opportunity to do what he just did with Tori. _But it was nothing!_ His eyes caught his camera on the nightstand by his bed. He instantly thought about the picture they took the day before and felt a huge urge to study that picture like he was going to have a test on it.

Almost angrily, he snatched it and, like he weighed three-hundred pounds, flopped back on his bed.

* * *

><p>The next day, Friday, was the festival. Shiori had morning and an afternoon class, so she wasn't available to take them out prior to. Beck and Tori decided that they would just check out a few of the stores that were somewhat close to the hotel, that way they wouldn't get lost and they could still get back in time for Shiori to get Tori ready.<p>

They decided to not even mention the night before. There was only a brief moment when anything was mentioned, and that was when Beck asked her how her chat with Andre went.

She looked at him like she was confused about how he knew about that but didn't want to ask, "It was fine. He called and it woke me up."

Beck stared at her, wondering if she meant that his call, _before_ Beck left, was the one that woke her up, or if she was trying to hide something.

But she quickly fixed herself, "Actually, I don't know why I just lied. I was the one that called him. And it was nice. He played me his new song."

Truthfully, that confession made Beck's day. He was glad that she was still able to tell him the truth, even if this truth really meant nothing at all.

While they were out looking around, Beck ended up purchasing a kimono for himself for the festival. It was a black two-piece with a red dragon on the back. Tori knew it would look stunning next to her red and gold kimono.

When Shiori said she was on her way over, they made their way back to the hotel and said they would meet back up again in about an hour. It would take Beck five minutes to get ready, but knew Tori was going to go through a transformation, and quite frankly, he was excited as hell to see what Shiori was going to do to her.

* * *

><p>Shiori was the one that texted Beck that they were ready and to come across the hall and "pick them up." When he knocked on the door, Shiori answered and motioned him to come inside with a huge smile on her face. If he didn't already know it was either of them, he would have introduced himself.<p>

For one, Shiori looked completely different again. She had the white face paint on, and her false eyelashes made her eyes seem a lot bigger than they actually were, and her green eye shadow that went nearly up to her thin eyebrows made her eyes look darker. She had on a long green kimono, and a huge green hair piece that looked like a fan was on top of her head, her hair pulled back into a tight bun.

But when his eyes fell on Tori…nothing on Shiori mattered. Tori's long red kimono hugged her body in all the right places. He could tell the sleeves were huge, like the ones he had on, but she looked so cute standing there with her hands clasped in front of her. Shiori didn't put the white face paint on Tori, but only slightly powdered her, making the red lip stick stand out in a way that lip stick normally doesn't. Her golden eye shadow was put on thickly like Shiori's also, but Tori's eyes penetrated his soul with how the extreme eye liner was applied. It curved at a point on the outside of both of her eyes, giving them a more almond shape, but it looked like she stuck with her natural eyelashes. Her hair was also up in a bun, but a sexy messy one, with strands still falling down around her face.

"Sooo…how you like?" Shiori asked, taking note of both their expression the whole time he studied her. Beck was as mesmerized as any guy could be, and Tori couldn't even hide her smile from how pleased she was that he liked it.

"_It's all for you—!"_ Shiori sang the title line to Janet Jackson's song, dancing around Beck as she made her way to the door, "Let's get going you two!"

When she left the room, Beck and Tori smiled at each other.

"You look absolutely amazing," Beck told her with full sincerity.

Tori looked down quickly, feeling like her smile was permanently plastered on her face, "Thanks, Beck. You do, too."

Smiling in return, he held out his hand to her, "Shall we go?"

Without thinking about it, she put her hand into his.

* * *

><p>The festival was everything they had hoped for, especially when it came to really getting a feel for the culture. People were putting on plays, wearing masks and beautiful, colorful outfits. They even looked like they were using real swords during their pretend battles. Little stands were set up all around, selling small knickknacks that were nice enough for Beck and Tori to pick up a lot as souvenirs for themselves and their friends and families.<p>

When it began getting a bit darker, dancers wearing short kimonos began making their way down the main street the festival was held at, followed by large floats that looked like dragons and tigers, multiple lanterns aligning all of them. As the show went on, they began bringing out the floating lanterns, releasing them into the sky as soon as the fireworks began.

Beck and Tori were still holding their floating lanterns while watching the fireworks, not wanting to let them go.

Beck kept glancing over at Tori, still amazed at how wonderful she looked. She eyes were sparkling with the fireworks, all the shadows and lights complimenting her kimono.

When she happened to glance over to find him staring at her, she tried to hide her smile by rising the lantern up in front of her, "Wanna release them together?"

Stepping on front of her, he held up his lantern, too. Looking in each other's eyes, they both knew exactly when the other was going to push their lantern up into the sky. They continued to watch their lanterns follow each other, until they joined the huge group of other lanterns and they lost track of their specific ones.

Then, what seemed like out of nowhere, Beck asked her: "Can I ask you a question?"

Tori smiled playfully, "Does the one you just asked count?"

Beck smirked a little at her, but shook his head, "And even though it's gonna sound a bit rhetorical, I really want an answer."

Tori tried to keep her smile, but the way he talked was beginning to make her a little nervous. She felt her stomach tighten as she nodded.

Beck looked around quickly, wondering if Shiori came back around them yet. He still didn't see her, and was hoping he wouldn't get interrupted once he started: "Would you rather do something with the possibility of regretting it later…or regret never doing it at all?"

Tori's eyes averted directly into his as she realized that that was probably a question she would have never expected to get asked. She pushed a small strand of hair behind her ear, "Don't you know that regretting something is like—."

"Is like not living at all, yeah, I know the phrase," Beck finished for her, "But I think everyone regrets something sometime or another. I'm just asking you which one sounds more…bearable."

Tori looked away from him. _What exactly is he trying to get at? Why is he even asking me this? And why is he insisting on an answer?_ She glanced back at him, seeing that he was still waiting for a response. She looked away again. _This is way too nerve-wrecking…is this about last night? Should I just tell him that I was awake and apologize for acting like I wasn't?_ She felt him step closer to her. _Why does he care about what I regret! I regret nothing! Nothing! Everything that has ever happened has been for the best and for a reason…_

"Tori…?" He was watching her inwardly argue with herself and wanted to know what she was thinking.

She answered quickly, almost snapping, "I would rather just regret never doing it. Because if everything is fine with my life as it is, then I must have made some sort of right decision in the past. No harm done."

He looked completely taken aback by her answer, "So you mean to tell me that you'd rather wonder what could have happened over finding out and saying at least you tried?"

Tori's face felt so tight, that she was sure she looked emotionless, "Exactly."

They continued to stand there for some time. Tori was acting like she was still interested in the festival people going by, but she wouldn't be able to tell about anything she just saw. She felt Beck's eyes digging into her, and finally he said: "I don't believe you."

She quickly looked at him. He was absolutely, completely, to the core serious. She noticed that he had the same look in his eyes as he did…all that time ago. That longing, _yearning_ look. The look of wanting to do something so badly, that nothing else seemed to matter.

Tori swallowed roughly, "I'm not lying. I don't lie."

"Liar."

Her mouth dropped open as he called her this. _How…how dare he!_ There was not many things that she could be called that would truly insult her…but for Beck to outright snap that word in her face like it was nothing was both angering and hurtful.

She didn't even know what to say. She was actually _embarrassed_ even though no one else around them had any clue what they were talking about. She lowered her head and walked around him, needing to get away from him at that moment.

"Why didn't you just tell me you liked Andre?" Beck called after her, his heart pounding out of his chest for where this conversation was going. Honestly, he knew he didn't think his original question through enough to really consider all the options. Honestly, he didn't think she would answer like she did. It all started to go wrong from the start, but he held so much in last night and all day that he was dying to talk to her about…_everything._

Tori stopped abruptly and turned back around to face him, "What are you talking about? He's my _boyfriend!"_

"No, I mean two years ago," Beck took the steps to get closer to her again, "When you said you couldn't kiss me because of Jade. Why didn't you just tell me it was because you liked Andre?"

She didn't even care if she looked completely foolish standing there with her mouth hanging open in astonishment. _What in the hell is he talking about!_ She turned her back on him quickly, angry that she wasn't able to look him in the face when she shouted, "I never lied to you!"

Tori rushed quickly through the crowd, all the colors of all the kimonos mixing to become one big blur. _Who is he to bring up the past like that? And why? And what in the world makes him think that I lied about anything that day?_

She got stopped abruptly when two Japanese men stepped in front of her. They looked a bit concerned that she wasn't having a good time (and it was only then that Tori realized that a couple tears dripped down her cheeks, probably smearing her make-up a bit), and offered her a cup of water.

She had been thirsty for quite some time, and she tried to offer them a small smile in courtesy as she took the cup. Without thinking, she tilted her head back and drank the whole thing at once. It wasn't until she swallowed all of it that she felt a burning sensation in her throat and in her chest.

She realized the two Japanese men were gone. And almost immediately, she felt her world begin to spin, and if she thought the colors blurred together before, the blur was now being mixed in a blender.

_Shit, what did I just drink…!_

She took a step back, but that alone caused her to lose her balance. She felt herself falling back before she was grabbed by someone.

"Tori? Tori, what happened?" Despite being dizzy, she could tell the voice belonged to Beck.

She lifted her hand to show him the cup, "I drank some water…"

The cup was roughly snatched from her fingers, and this is when she heard Shiori's voice, "She drank a double shot of Habu sake."

"What the hell's that?" Beck asked.

"It's just awamori mixed with snake venom."

"_What?"_ Tori yelled, standing on her own but instantly regretting that she did. She felt Beck's arms around her again.

"Don't worry!" Shiori said quickly, "It's not harmful. Everyone drinks it here. But if you're not used to it, it can be quite a doozy. You took it well!"

Even though she was trying to be encouraging and funny, Tori only groaned and pressed her face into Beck's shoulder. She wasn't even thinking about the conversation they just had that caused her to end up like this. _At least I don't feel sick._ She thought. Just dizzy.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Beck said, his voice sounding deeper when it was close to her ear and her face was close to his chest. She could vaguely feel his arms securely around her…and she could smell his scent all around her, too. The silk of his kimono felt cool and comforting against her face, making her rub her face up and down on it.

Shiori laughed, "Yeah, the festival's nearing its close anyway. Oh, and don't be surprised if she starts…like, hallucinating."

"Was that drink some sort of drug, too?" Beck asked.

Shiori shook her head, "No, and even though the venom is distilled from the alcohol, it can still have some effects on the mind."

"Great," Beck said dryly.

"I'm sorry…" Tori mumbled into his shoulder.

"No…I'm sorry, Tor, it's my fault," Beck said lowly so that only she could hear. She leaned herself into him more, his body feeling way to good pressed against hers. She felt him begin to lead her in a direction, probably towards Shiori's car, so they could head back.

Tori lifted her head slightly so that she could see somewhat where she was going. To her surprise, the world wasn't as incomprehensible as she thought it was going to be.

"Aw, look at the cute kitten," she said, pointing to their right.

Beck looked, but all he saw was one of the floating lanterns that made its way back down to the ground.

()()()()()()

First off, I'd like to apologize for taking a bit longer to update. Secondly, I would like to give a HUGE thank you for the awesome amount of reviews this story is getting. For all you authors out there, you know how rewarding reviews can be.

Also, I know not many of you have ever drunk Habu sake, but let me tell you, it's definitely a doozy like Shiori said. It comes in a bottle with an actual snake at the bottom and his mouth pried open so all the venom releases from his teeth. I recall having about 6 shots of it when I was in Japan…or maybe I was in Guam at the time…maybe Hong Kong. Either way, I was a pretty big alcoholic at the time, but even I started hallucinating that I was in a Bon Jovi music video jumping down an alley. Don't ask…I don't know.

Anyway, Tori didn't drink THAT much, so don't expect this to turn into an "I have no idea what I'm doing so I'm gonna just do anything!" kinda story. Tori is still gonna have a brain. So to end this long ass AN…I hope you guys enjoyed this update!


	12. Confessions

**Final Project**

**XI.**

"Shiori, you remind me of my Cat!" Tori told Shiori from the backseat of her car. Of course, Tori was referring to Cat, not an animal, but thought it was funny that Shiori didn't know that. She giggled quietly.

"Aw, thanks, Tori-chan!" Shiori said, and Beck, who was sitting by Tori in the backseat, couldn't tell if she actually took it as a compliment or was just humoring Tori.

Tori turned to him, "She remind you of Cat, too?"

Beck smiled, at least glad that she was having a fun time in her state of mind, "Yeah, kinda. But you're sounding more like Cat right now than she is."

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_ Tori exclaimed very dramatically, but she couldn't keep a straight face for long before she started cracking up.

Beck laughed a bit with her, letting her take his hand into hers, "Very good impersonation."

"Let me read your palm."

As she was seriously studying Beck's palm, Shiori smiled from the driver's seat, "See anything interesting in Beck's future?"

Tori gasped and pointed at a random spot on his hand. It was funnier because it was so dark in the car, that Beck didn't think she could see anything, "I see…I see a movie! Yeah, it says here that you're gonna be the handsomest actor ever and be married with three wives."

Beck raised an eyebrow, "Wow, three wives?"

Tori laughed at her mistake, tossing her head back against the seat, "I meant three kids!"

"You're so silly, Tori-chan!" Shiori laughed also, pulling around a corner, "Okay, we're here. Oh, are you guys still in for tomorrow night? I'll be performing at Club Dragon, remember?"

"Fo' sho'!" Tori exclaimed dramatically, then hiccupped, "Let me hear a sneak-peak, Miss Tokyo!"

Shiori cleared her throat and began singing a Japanese song. Even the pitch in her voice reminded Tori and Beck of Cat. Tori waved her hands in the air, or at least as far as they would raise in the car, snapping her fingers with the beat of Shiori's voice.

"That was so amazing!" Tori told her when she was done, leaning forward so she could actually see her before she got out of the car, "Will there be other performances?"

"Only you!" Shiori announced, pinching one of Tori's cheekbones.

"I can't wait!" Tori said, obviously not thinking about what Shiori just told her. It was then that she realized that Beck had gotten out of the car already and came around to her side to help her out, "Aw, what a gentleman!"

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist before closing the car door. They both waved at Shiori as she drove away. When they entered the hotel, Tori started, "So, what—!" But she quickly snapped her hand over her mouth when she realized how loud her voice was for the quiet lobby, "So, what do you wanna do now?"

Beck looked at her, "You mean you're not tired?"

She _psch_-ed, "No way! Why, are you?"

They walked in the elevator that was already waiting for them on the first floor. He shook his head, "No, I was just making sure you're okay."

"Great! So I was thinking…let's go up to the very top floor and see what we see…because we obviously won't be seeing what someone else sees, _ha_!" They both laughed at her pretty bad joke.

Since Beck had already pressed the third floor button before she said anything, it stopped there but Tori got off anyway, "I think I'm gonna change out of this kimono, though. It's too restricting!"

Walking behind her to her door, he noticed the long zipper that went from her neck to her lower back, "Do you need help?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, like she just had an epiphany, "Oh my God, _yes_! How'd you know?" But she didn't wait for him to answer, for she opened the door and walked inside, assuming Beck would just follow…which he did.

Walking to her bed, she picked up her pajamas that she had on the night before and pressed them to her chest. Then she looked over her shoulder at him, "Okay, undo me."

Beck stared at her, wondering why his palms got so sweaty all of a sudden. He continuously rubbed his fingers against them, hoping to get some of the moisture to go away. Once he thought he was pretty safe, he reached up and grabbed her zipper. Slowly, probably a lot slower than he needed to go, he unzipped her kimono. Every inch of skin that he exposed made him want to touch her more and more…her skin looked so soft and he wanted to know for sure…

"Thanks!" She yelled suddenly when she felt him finish. She turned around and went into the bathroom to get changed. And Beck…Beck was left standing there, wondering if she broke the moment intentionally or if it was still just her mind going a hundred miles per second like it was doing in the car.

To his greater surprise, the bathroom door opened within about ten seconds. She didn't come out, however, but yelled from inside: "So what did you think about that festival?"

"Um…" he wasn't sure if he should look in or not, but opted to do it since she did, in fact, open the door. When he peeked in, he saw her taking all her make-up off, looking more and more like the original Tori that he knew, "Probably the best festival I've ever been to."

"You know!" She looked at him through the mirror, "I feel the same way! I shoulda kept that floating lantern though…would have made a good memoir…"

"Yeah, but then your wish wouldn't come true."

"Aw, Beck…" She actually turned to him this time with a smile, before continuing to remove the rest of her make-up, "You're such a romantic."

"Heh…" He ran his hand through his hair, _romantic_ being the last word he expected to hear tonight after how their last conversation went.

"All right, let's go!" Tori announced, dropping the last tissue paper in the trashcan. She stopped when she noticed that he was still wearing his two-piece kimono, "You wanna get changed, too?"

Beck looked down at himself, "Nah, this feels pretty comfortable."

Tori giggled as she headed out her door, "Good, 'cause I like you in it!"

Beck tried to smile as he followed her, but felt really confused. Tori didn't _sound_ like she was drunk, or tipsy, or buzzed, or anything…but her words were words that she wouldn't normally say, so he was wondering exactly what was going on in her head. Was the alcohol only affecting her mentally, but not physically? If that was the case, she would be dangerous around alcohol…

They stepped into the elevator again and Tori pressed the highest button, which was 20, as she bounced from foot to foot, "This is so exciting!"

Beck chuckled at how excited she was, but he had to admit that once they reached the 20th floor, he was pretty excited, too. The Ryumeikan actually had a lounge on the top floor. There was a small bar to their right, able to sit about twenty people, but only 3 were there (not sitting together), with a huge amount of drinks behind the bar. The bartender was drying out of the wine glasses with a soft towel, wearing a suit like he was a butler. They smiled at him as they walked by, turning a small corner to see six lounge chairs, every two separated by a small end table, sitting in front of a huge window overlooking Tokyo.

"Oh, wow…" Tori said as she walked to the window, "The view from our rooms doesn't even compare to this."

"That's for sure," Beck agreed, looking out also to see that they were at eye level, if not above, to some of the surrounding buildings.

Tori turned to the chairs, grabbing one by the arms and scooting back to get it closer to the window; "Let's relax, shall we?"

Beck also pulled a chair up to the window, placing it right next to Tori's. They were both silent for a minute, before Tori began: "You know…I wonder…if I got a pretty good running start…do you think I could jump from here to the next building?"

Looking out into the night sky, Beck estimated that the next building over was probably at least three-hundred feet. But he shrugged anyway, "Maybe."

Tori thought about it some more, before nodded in agreement, "Yeah, maybe someday."

Even though Beck appeared to be looking outside, his peripheral vision was all on her. _Does she even remember anything from earlier right now?_ He didn't really want to bring it up, and yet at the same time he did, but he never seen Tori look as hurt and angry as she did before she ran away from him. He truly upset her, and he knew Tori wasn't one to get easily upset, unlike some girls he knew…

"Look, Tor, I want to apologize for earlier…"

"No, you were right," she answered immediately, "I'm a liar."

Not expecting her to get to the point like that, he snapped his eyes toward her, "What?"

"You asked me if I would rather regret doing something or regret never doing something. My answer was a lie," she turned toward him now and smiled, "But you already knew that, huh?"

"Um…no, I mean, yeah…well, I dunno, I got confused when you answered the way you did," he admitted to her, "You sounded pretty convincing."

"That's 'cause I get acting lessons from the best," she grinned as she poked him in his arm.

He tried to return the grin, "So why did you lie then?"

She shrugged, "Seemed easier at the time."

"Why was it easier?"

Tori groaned loudly and hid her face in her hands as she swayed back and forth for a moment, "Why, why, why, why, why…_why_!"

Beck stared at her suspiciously at first, wondering what the hell had gotten into her. When she looked up, she saw this look, and laughed gently, "Sorry…I've been having so many _why_ questions in my head these last few days that…actually, the last few _years_…that I'm beginning to wish _why_ never existed."

Beck thought about the specific time frame she mentioned, and wondered why she chose to say few years instead. But when he asked, "Why?" and she shot him a glance that clearly said, "Really?" they both shared a pretty good laugh at the ironic humor of it.

When their laughing died down, he gave her a serious look again, "Seriously, Tor…if you had so many why questions for that long, why not just ask me then?"

She grinned playfully, "And how do you know _you're_ the one I need to direct them to?"

He shrugged, "Am I?

Tori sighed, "Yeah."

"Great, so why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you tell me you liked Andre?"

Tori stared at him, and there was something deep inside her that wanted to just tell him _everything_. And actually, that's what she planned on doing. It was probably the liquid courage…that thing rocks.

Smiling, she nudged him good-naturedly, "You tell me first." When Beck looked confused, she explained, "A couple of nights ago when I asked you why you didn't break up with Jade…you never answered."

"Ah…well, I guess since you asked first, it's only fair that I answer first," His smile was short-lived as he sat forward to stare out the window some more as he tried to collect his thoughts. His heart was pounding and his hands were sweaty again, just thinking about what he was about to tell her. Finally, he turned back to her, seeing her staring at him intently.

"So I'm not always thinking about someone else that I can't have," he spilt from his mouth, the words having an impact on both of them so much, that he was suddenly afraid to stop. "That first week after…after the Platinum Music Awards…I was…you know, going insane!" He brought both of his hands up by his head and shook them to really exaggerate what he was saying, "I liked you _so_ much…I had for a while, even before Jade and I broke up. And that's what made it so easy to get over her. And I waited…a pretty long time to try to make a move on you. But when you started acting all goofy, dressing in those ridiculous outfits…I knew that wasn't you. I know how Hollywood works, but I didn't want you to fall into its trap. You're too awesome for that. And honestly…I wasn't even planning on trying to kiss you that day. But I noticed that you wanted to kiss me, too, so I knew I had to try again. But…that's when you turned me down.

"And I never could quite grasp your reason for not kissing me. I mean, I know Jade wouldn't like us dating, but I liked you _so_ much that I just didn't care about anyone else except you and I. So after a week of practically ripping my brains out, I figured out that I must not make you that happy that you were choosing someone else's feelings over your own _personal _happiness.

"And Jade…Jade asked me to take her back, and I felt like I _had_ to because being alone every night…wanting you to be beside me _so _bad…was worse than being next to someone else. And then when I found out you were dating Andre…I knew I had to keep Jade, because…" He stopped here and looked at her again, but she was only looking out at the city, "Because I thought I would never have you."

And as he finished with the line he began with, her eyes fell on his, and there was a moment that made her wonder if it was the alcohol that was making this whole thing sound sadder than it actually was…_but it was sad._ She had absolutely no idea that he went through all that just because she said she couldn't kiss a "friend's" ex-boyfriend.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "Like I said before, I didn't lie to you that day. I didn't do it because of Jade. I didn't tell you I liked Andre because…I didn't. We didn't start dating until after I saw you and Jade got back together. He knew I was upset all day…and when we got home, I told him everything that had happened," Tori sighed and squeezed her hands between her knees, looking up to the ceiling. She couldn't believe she was telling him all this, "I told him that I was upset that you got back with Jade so quick and he…" Thinking about it ahead of time, she smiled suddenly and looked back at Beck, "He said that you probably got back with Jade because you couldn't have me."

Beck also smiled at the coincidence, "Smart guy."

"Yeah…but anyway, it led to me saying that I needed to get over you and he needed to get over Jade, so why not just date? And so…we did and he—."

"Wait, wait, _wait!_" Beck stopped her suddenly, scooting to the edge of his seat, "_Andre likes Jade?"_

Tori slapped her hand over her mouth and mumbled, "Oh shit…!" Her eyes were wide as she spilled Andre's secret from years ago that she promised she never would…especially to Beck.

Despite the outcome of where this conversation went, Beck had to smirk in amusement, "No, no…now you have to tell me _that_ story!"

Sighing, realizing that she was trapped, Tori dropped her hand again, "It was when I had to take that Tech Theater exam and was too busy to help Andre with a song he had to write and perform…so you mentioned that Jade would help him, remember?"

Beck nodded, "Yeah, I remember that."

"Well…I guess she sang for him and he got a crush on her. That song he sang for his performance?...yeah, that was for Jade," Tori finished, folding in her lips and nodding like "yep, that pretty much sums it all up."

"Wow…" Beck said, blinking in astonishment, "I would have never known."

"Andre didn't want you to…he knew it was wrong to li—."

"Wait, wait, _wait!_" Beck did all over again, making Tori giggle at how excited he was over every detail she was telling him, "So you guys _used_ each other to get over…me and Jade?"

Tori hadn't realized it, but she had, in fact, just admitted her feelings to him. She only nodded. He looked from her, to the floor, from the floor, to the window, paused, then looked back at her, "Did it work?"

_That_ she was not expecting. She stood up quickly, almost too quickly, and it felt like all of her blood flow dropped from her brain to her feet. It made her feel dizzy again…and this time, even slightly tipsy. Yeah, people usually don't tell newbies that alcohol can sneak up on you at the least opportune times.

"You know, maybe I am getting pretty tired. Let's head back down," she tripped over the foot of the chair, but caught herself before she fell. Embarrassed by her clumsiness, she picked up her pace toward the elevators, although the floor was beginning to look all three-dimensional and crazy.

"Tori, wait!" Beck yelled for her, chasing after her for the second time that night. He caught up to her as soon as she reached the elevator, "Why are you always running when things get—."

"Why are you acting like any of this is going to change anything?" She asked, crossing her arms to try to help keep her balance a little better, "And why are you asking so many why questions?"

"What? You just asked the last two why questions and I didn't even—."

"I just don't understand _why_"—and despite herself and the situation, she laughed at the damn word that she said again—"why you need to know that! I think I already told you more than I should've."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened up for them to step inside.

"I won't tell Andre you told me all that," Beck told her as they headed back down to their floor.

"Thanks," she said dryly, yet sincerely. She was looking at the floor, swaying softly back and forth so as to try to get her brain to go down with the elevator. Beck watched her and he could tell that she was feeling slightly woozy.

"You feeling okay? I didn't mean to get you upset again, I was just—."

"No, I know…you were just curious," Tori smiled up at him, but then pointed to something behind him, "Hey, look at the cool drawing someone did."

Beck looked behind him but only saw some sort of directions that he couldn't read, but it looked like it was talking about what to do in case the elevator got stuck.

The doors opened up and Tori stepped off quickly and stopped in front of her room. Her arms were still crossed and her head was down. Beck slowly walked over to her and he saw that her shoulders started shaking like she was crying, but her hair was covering her face.

"Hey…Tor, you all right?" He asked gently.

She shook for a few more seconds before looking up at him and letting out a few audible laughs. She wore a huge, amused smile on her lips, "I left my key in my room."

Beck looked quickly at the door as he remembered the scene from earlier when he unzipped her kimono. She must have put it down somewhere and forgot to grab it before they left again.

He returned her smile, "My room then?"

She shrugged but casually turned to head toward his room, "Guess so."

Beck took his key out of his pocket hurriedly, only to drop it, but he picked it back up before Tori could see. He stood beside her as he stuck the key in the slot and swiftly pulled it out, turning the handle and letting her inside first.

Tori looked around, "Hm, looks just like mine but reversed."

He grinned when he recognized those words as his own, but before he could respond, his laptop started going off with a video chat request.

"What the hell? I'm going to disconnect that damn thing," Beck said angrily. Why couldn't people just leave him and Tori alone, _seriously!_

"I'll get it!" Tori announced as she followed the sound. Beck had put his laptop down on the dining room table, the one that's directly across from the living room couch and TV.

"Tori, wait! What are you doing, what if it's—."

"It's Jade!" Tori announced, _way_ too enthusiastically for such an answer. She went back behind the laptop but moved her finger over the mouse, "I'm gonna answer it…" She smiled mischievously over her shoulder at him, "You better get in front of it before I do or she might suspect something…"

"Tori!...Tori, c'mon," Beck ran toward the laptop when he saw her finger about to press down to accept, "I can't belie—Hey, Babe!" He quickly switched roles as he sat on his knees in front of his laptop, his girlfriend's face appearing in front of him.

"Hey…why do you sound out of breath?" Jade asked inquisitively.

"I was just…I was just coming in the door. I just came back from that festival I told you about, and I heard you calling," he half lied, trying to get his nerves to calm down.

"Oh," Jade seemed to like that answer, "Well, let me tell you about this museum I went to today," Jade started, which was typical…even if he brought up something _he_ did, she would still talk about what _she_ did.

He was just getting his breath back when he happened to look over his laptop for a moment to see what Tori was doing…and his breath got caught in his throat again. She was by the huge window that overlooked the city, dancing. But it wasn't a funny dance, nor a hyper dance, and not even just swaying. She had her eyes closed and her hands were clasped above her head; her hips were moving back and forth in a way that made her look like she was in her own world, dancing to a glamorous beat that was all hers. She would slowly move her head back and forth from shoulder to shoulder, her hair swaying in a gentle motion, sometimes covering her face when she tilted her head down.

It was the most exotic thing he'd ever seen…

"Beck? Beck, are you listening?" Jade interrupted when she saw that he wasn't even looking at her.

"Um…" he noticed that his voice cracked, and he blinked, trying to get himself out of the trance Tori put him in, "Yeah, go on."

She eyed him skeptically, "What did I just say?"

"Um…" he said again, and usually, he was pretty good at this game. Even when he was hardly listening to her, and she would ask him to repeat what she said, he could do it. But this time…he had to admit to himself, he didn't have a clue what she said. "Listen, Jade, that festival really wore me out. I'm gonna take a shower, all right?"

"What?" She asked harshly, "We just started talking, don't you think you could at least give me ten minutes?"

Beck's eyes peaked back over his laptop, spotting Tori dancing still. His stomach jumped into his throat, "How about I just call you back when I'm done, okay?"

"Well, why not just—," and even though he knew he would hear about it later, Beck ended the call.

Standing up, he began to slowly walk over to her, feeling like he was getting closer to some mysterious creature that he had never seen before. His heart was pounding out of his chest when he reached the window, clearly seeing her calm face due to the warm lights from the city.

Without even opening her eyes, she somehow knew he was standing there and said, "You hear that music?"

This time, Beck listened, but didn't hear anything. He figured it might have been another one of her hallucinations, "I don't hear it."

"Listen," she stopped moving as if that would help him hear better. Her eyes slowly opened, and he never saw such innocence and purity sparkling in her eyes. "It's everywhere."

_She's so beautiful_…He thought as he stepped toward her, wanting her now more than ever.

She smiled up at him and threw herself against him, her cheek pressing tightly against his chest. They both wrapped their arms around each other, Beck breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, running his hand through her soft tresses. He was sure that she felt his heart beating wildly, but was glad that she could get a sense of how he was feeling…confused, crazy, scared, happy…

Beck pressed his lips on the top of her head, trailing feather soft kisses to her forehead, kissing beside her eye, her cheek…but was met with her hair again when she turned away.

His heart sunk, "Tori…"

She mumbled something incoherent and he had to ask her a few times to repeat what she said. Finally, she stepped slightly away from him, even though he was still holding her tightly…he didn't want her running away again…and looked up at him, "We promised…"

He didn't pretend like he didn't know what she was talking about, because he knew very well that she meant their promises to Andre and Jade that nothing would happen between them while they were in Japan. But damn…was it really their fault that they were this attracted to each other?

He suddenly remembered a question he asked her earlier that she left unanswered. He still wanted to know: "Did it work?"

She looked out at the city again, her hands resting on his upper arms. It really felt like she was in a dream; her mind was getting fuzzy and she never imagined she would have ever gotten the chance to be standing here with Beck like this.

Finally, she answered, "No one could ever make it work."

Beck's grip tightened on her; it was the best answer she could have ever given him, "Tori, can I kiss you?"

Though her gaze turned back to him, she was staring down at his chest as she thought about his question. It's so wrong…_It's so wrong...we made promises, we both have someone else, we'd be going against them if we…_She looked up into his eyes and her heart jumped into her mouth as it made her say: "Just once…but you gotta promise not to tell…"

As long as her answer wasn't "no," Beck didn't care what she said. He murmured out a promise before cupping her cheek and pressing his lips to hers.

_Finally! Finally!_ As their thoughts settled on this word, Beck tightened his one arm around her when he felt her go weak in the knees. Her hands clenched onto his shoulders as she felt that overwhelming sensation that she'd never experienced before…their lips knew how to move against each other, pressing and sliding, opening and closing…

Tori moaned softly into the kiss, sighing quietly every time she thought they were about to break away, only for one or the other to start it all over again. But when she began to feel a sensation in the pit of her stomach that she had never, _ever_ felt, she knew they had to stop. Whether this feeling was something that went along with the alcohol, or a guilty feeling for doing something she wasn't supposed to, or that excited feeling one gets when they found the best thing ever…she wasn't sure, but it still caught her attention.

She gently pulled her lips from his, opening her eyes slowly to see his were still closed. She put her hand on his cheek, and his hand was still on hers, and that's when he looked at her. The feeling she had in her stomach intensified ten-fold when she saw this look in his eyes…the look of…

"Tori, you don't know how long…"

She smiled tenderly and shook her head, "Don't talk about it, Beck." He closed his mouth and allowed her to lead him to his bed. She let go of his hand as she climbed onto it, going to the very edge and facing away from the rest of the bed, a pillow clasped against his chest.

He grabbed his shorts that he usually slept in and quickly changed out of his kimono that had suddenly got way too hot and put on his shorts. He climbed onto his bed as well, staring up into the darkness for a moment. _How am I going to keep that promise after…that?_

He turned his head to the side to stare at the back of her. He still wondered how much the alcohol factored into everything that happened tonight. Swallowing roughly, he scooted himself closer to her so he could wrap his arm around her and at least be able to hold her all night.

()()()()()()()

Sooo…..how did you guys like THIS chapter, neeehhhh? ^_^ Truthfully, this chapter came out of left field. I was not expecting this to happen, so I'm as shocked as you guys are. Go figure. So what's gonna happen next? Haha, your guess is pretty much as good as mine!


	13. Extraterrestrial!

**Final Project**

**XII.**

Beck woke up the next morning only holding onto the pillow that Tori had been clasping onto all night. He sat up and looked all around his room, even calling out her name, but she wasn't there. Worried, since he remembered that she couldn't get into her room because she locked herself out, he quickly snatched his phone to text her.

**Beck: Where'd you go?**

He waited for what felt like forever. And it kind of was—seven minutes—which is a long time when you expect someone to answer right away. He was just considering calling her when she finally sent a text back.

**Tori: In my room. I got up early this morning and went to the front desk. Talking to Andre right now.**

And that was all she wrote. He stared at it like he thought it would alter at any second. _That's all she has to say? Does she even remember last night?_ He hit the respond button, but his fingers stopped over the keypad. He honestly had no idea how to respond to that, but he knew he wanted to. Nothing seemed appropriate to say through text, however, so he settled with:

**Beck: Let me know when you're done.**

He tossed the phone on his bed, not expecting another response for awhile, and looked down into the living room area. There was _the_ huge window…the huge window that saw it all. He wanted to remember every detail of that moment he shared with her…because he truly was unsure if he'd ever get another one.

Getting out of bed, he went into the bathroom and turned on the faucet to shower. The whole time he was in there, he couldn't get the image of Tori out of his mind…everything about last night was…he had to stop himself. No, it _wasn't_ perfect. They did something they weren't supposed to. Kissing is cheating. Even if it was _only once_ like she said.

Once he got out of the shower, he got dressed and grabbed his phone to make sure he didn't miss a text. He didn't. He walked over to the living room window to see what Tokyo looked like during the day as compared to the night. It looked more…chaotic. Scrambled. Unruly. It just looked like a completely different place.

Tired of waiting for Tori to text back—even though it had only been about thirty minutes and he knew Andre would probably hold her up for a little longer—he decided to text Shiori.

**Beck: Hey, you have anything planned today before your performance tonight?**

**Shiori: Good morning to you, too! I'm assuming you took care of Tori last night? ;)**

Beck sighed and leaned against the glass. He really didn't want to discuss this with her.

**Beck: Something like that. So…plans?**

**Shiori: I'm helping my dad at Shi-chan's right now, but bout time I get done, it'll be time to do me and Tori's hair and make-up again. You guys can come grab some coffee if you want!**

**Beck: Well, she's talking to Andre right now.**

**Shiori: …Who?**

Beck looked at her short question in wonderment. Tori never told her about Andre? Granted, he never told her about Jade either, but he was sure with all the extra time Tori and Shiori spent with each other while getting ready that Andre would have at least come up once.

_That's probably why Shiori still thinks Tori and I are going to hook up…or _are _hooking up…_

**Beck: Her boyfriend.**

**Shiori: Shut up! Really? I'm sorry. :(**

He had to wonder what exactly she was sorry about. Sorry because she kept insinuating something between the two of them without knowing there was someone else? Sorry because she knew Beck liked Tori but couldn't do anything about it?

**Beck: We'll see you in a little bit.**

That was the only thing he could think of to say. What else was there to say? _It's okay, I got a girlfriend myself. Tori and I kissed anyway, but whatever._

He momentarily wondered if he should call Jade. But then he thought about how he cut her off last night. She was no doubt pissed. Did he want to deal with that? Not particularly. All he wanted to do was see Tori.

* * *

><p>He waited for another <em>fifty damn minutes<em> before Tori finally texted that she was ready. All too quickly, Beck left his room, only to discover that Tori was out in the hallway. She looked completely surprised that he burst out so soon, but greeted him with a smile, "Sorry that took so long again. He missed me because I didn't get to talk to him last night."

"No need to apologize," Beck let her know, already walking to the elevator with her. He kept glancing at her, wondering if she was going to apologize to him about last night. She looked like her normal self…no hangover, no drowsiness, no regret in her eyes…

"So how are you feeling?" He asked her anyway.

Tori nodded a few times, "Really good, actually. I think that alcohol finally allowed me to crash hard enough to get some good sleep." She laughed.

Beck grinned as they headed down to the first floor, "Or maybe my bed is just more comfortable."

Instantly, she stopped laughing and shot her eyes to the floor. She pushed a lot of her hair behind her ear, suddenly looking very fidgety. Her only response was: "So where are we going?"

_So it was only a one time thing…_

Beck didn't want to make her feel anymore awkward than she already looked, so went along with the change of subject, "Shiori said she's working at Shi-chan's so I figured we could grab some coffee."

"Sounds great!" She exclaimed, going back to her normal self again.

Beck sighed and remembered the last thing she said to him last night: _"Don't talk about it, Beck…"_

* * *

><p>The whole time they were at Shi-chan's, Tori noticed that Shiori kept shooting them…or maybe just <em>her<em>… weird glances. Tori was pretty sure she remembered everything from last night and couldn't recall doing anything too foolish. It still made her wonder if she said something to Shiori that she wasn't supposed to…

Shi-chan's had a little karaoke section…well, it was more like an "artist unplugged" section. There was a microphone and microphone stand in front of a single wooden stool, a guitar propped up against it. Basically, they made it so only good singers would use their voices in the coffee shop, because bad singers would normally not just start singing with little or no music in front of a crowd.

"You should go sing a song," Beck told her, motioning toward the microphone.

Tori tried to smile, staring at her coffee that she pushed on the table from one hand to the next, "No, not really in the mood right now."

"Why?" he asked her, genuinely wanting to know her thoughts about _everything_ right now.

Tori scratched the side of her head as she squashed her face up in a "I'm sorry I have to say this, but you kinda left me no choice" way, "Could you do me a favor and try not to ask me that question anymore?"

Beck slumped back against his seat, feeling more defeated than ever. His why didn't even have anything to do with the night before (or, at least he didn't think so), so he had no idea what to talk to her about. Would she just tell him not to ask her _anything_ from now on?

Shiori came over and sat down with them, "Hey guys, just got on break. How you liking the coffees?"

"Awesome," Tori responded.

"Yeah…great," Beck said, not even being able to mask enthusiasm. He started tapping his fingers against the table as he watched a Japanese girl go up and take a seat on the wooden stool.

Shiori followed his glance and smiled when she saw the girl, "Oh, that's Ayumi. She sings here a lot because the same people usually always come in here, so she got comfortable finally. She's good."

When the girl started to sing, she had the softest voice they've ever heard. But there was a diligence about it. Her song was completely in Japanese, but the emotion behind the voice alone was enough to get anyone to feel what the song desired them to…and Beck sure was feeling it. But when he looked over at Tori, he could tell she was feeling it, too. Her eyes looked sad and far off. But then she glanced at him and their eyes met.

And they couldn't look away. They didn't understand the words, but they were living them. Tori's eyes showed sorrow and confusion, and Beck felt himself nodding slowly…maybe along with the beat or maybe answering an unspoken question.

As Ayumi's voice got a little more powerful when the song began coming to a close, Tori raised her head up a bit higher, trying to keep her confidence and willpower about her, but breathed in so hard, even Beck could hear it from across the table. But then the song ended and everyone in the coffee shop gave a soft applause.

"So, know what you're gonna wear tonight?" Shiori suddenly asked Tori.

Tori finally broke eye contact with Beck, "Um, no, not really. What should—."

"Great, I'll be over tonight again before we go. Club Dragon's only a few streets over so I'm not gonna drive. Too hard to find a parking spot." Shiori stood up from the table, glancing from Beck to Tori, knowing something was obviously going on, "Anyway, my break's done. I'll see you guys later."

Beck and Tori nodded before being left alone at the table again. The silence between them was hard and uncomfortable, and they both hated it.

_This is why I didn't kiss him two years ago…_Tori thought to herself, trying to take a really long sip of her coffee to give her a reason for not talking. _I knew it would get awkward between us…_

"Wanna go check out that ten-story anime store down the street?" he finally asked her.

She nodded, just happy to be doing something, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>So they ended up staying at Anime Palace for the rest of the day until it was time to go back to the hotel. To their great relief, the tension between them lightened up dramatically while they looked at all the anime stuff. They made fun of some of the figures, they took pictures of each other by the huge statues of anime characters, and even spent some time in the mini arcade, going against each other in Dance, Dance Revolution and Dragon Ball Z fighter games.<p>

They were almost sad to leave the place because of how much fun they were having, but reminded each other that they were probably going to have a blast at Club Dragon, too.

They split off into their separate rooms, as Tori was going to get herself as ready as possible before Shiori came over to finish her off. But Tori was not expecting the Shiori that came rushing into her room when she let her in…

"Why didn't you tell me about your boyfriend?" Shiori asked, walking to the middle of her room before turning around and putting her hands on her hips. _Again_, Tori hardly recognized her. She put extensions in her hair that made it look like she had hair down to her butt, and pink streaks were all throughout her pitch black hair. Her outfit was a two piece black suit. The top stopped above her bellybutton and definitely showed off some serious cleavage. It was long-sleeved, stopping perfectly at her wrists. The bottoms were mini black shorts that stopped right at the top of her thighs. Her ankle-length, high-heeled, pink boots made her look about five inches taller.

"Um…what?" Tori asked, confused at both the question and her outfit. _Is she really gonna dress me like that?_

"Your boyfriend? Why didn't you ever mention him? I feel kinda stupid now, because I've been saying all that stuff about you and Beck," Shiori sounded, and looked, hurt.

Tori sighed, figuring Beck mentioned Andre sometime this morning to her, "Don't feel stupid, Shiori, it's not that big a deal. Beck and I _are_ really good friends, I can see where—."

"And did anything happen last night?" Shiori cut her off.

Tori's initial reaction of fear that someone else knew gave it all away. Shiori couldn't even hold back the huge smile that spread across her face as she pointed at Tori accusingly, "Something _did _happen! You so gotta tell me all about it as we get you ready!"

Tori saw that she would have no choice in the matter.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Shiori didn't go as dramatic on Tori as she did for herself. She didn't want to make Tori feel uncomfortable there, but wanted to help her get a slight feel of the style. She added blue clip-on streaks through her hair and told her to wear her skin-tight jeans and high-heeled boots that came up to her knees. Shiori had brought over a few shirts for her to try on, and they both decided they liked the black, pink, and white off-the-shoulder top. Looking in the mirror, Tori liked the way the shirt made her neck and shoulders look elegant, but still gave her an edgy feel.<p>

Beck thought exactly the same thing when he walked in to see her again.

Shiori smirked when she saw Beck's reaction, which was even better than the night before, because she knew their little secret. Tori had told her everything. She had tried to pull it off like it was no big deal, but Shiori could tell that it was a _huge_ deal to both of them. She could just tell by the way they looked at each other.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Shiori looped her arms through both of theirs, like she did the first day they met, and led them out the door.

* * *

><p>It was a little after eight o-clock about time they reached Club Dragon, and it was completely packed. They saw the line of people that were waiting to get in, and three bouncers were standing at the entrance to begin letting people in.<p>

"We have to wait in that huge line?" Tori asked, standing on her tiptoes to try to find the end of the line.

Shiori laughed, "Oh Tori, you're so silly! Why would they make the entertainment stand in line?" With that, she pulled Beck and Tori up to the bouncers. Shiori said something to the bouncers in Japanese, and the three guys instantly smiled at her. They stepped to the side to let the three of them in.

"Wow, that was easy," Beck commented. They all began to walk down a very long, dimly lit hallway that echoed their footsteps with every step they took, especially since the two girls were wearing heels.

"C'mon, guys!" Shiori yelled, picking up the pace a little bit, really excited to show her two new friends one of her favorite places.

Music started to become louder and louder as they reached the end of the hallway, and before they knew it, they were stepping onto a huge dance floor with strobe lights going every which way. The music was loud and upbeat, and all around they could see people dancing; and Tori couldn't help but notice that most of them were dressed similar to Shiori. She felt a bit overdressed, to say the least.

"Let's get this party started!" Shiori shouted with all her might at them, trying to make herself heard over the music. She grabbed both of their hands and pulled them more toward the center, which was easier said than done. The place was packed, and people were so lost in the music that they had no sense of where and how they moved, nor if they bumped into anyone else.

Neither Beck nor Tori had ever been to a place quite like this and felt a bit out of place at first. But they both noticed that Shiori got right into it, swinging her arms, swaying her hips, flipping her hair, and sometimes even jumping up and down and screaming. Her carefree spirit definitely had a positive effect on Beck and Tori's attitude, for they quickly began to follow her lead.

With every move Tori made, she began to feel a bit lighter and looser. Once you stop worrying about other people, and figuring out that no one else is going to judge you, the crazy, freestyle dancing can become very addictive. In fact, she was so lost within herself, that it took her awhile to realize that Beck was tapping her on the shoulder instead of her just running into someone.

"Tori!" He yelled through the crowd and music. She could barely hear him, so she leaned in close to him. When he grabbed her arm and put his mouth close to her ear so she would be able to hear everything, her sweaty skin stood on end and it took everything in her willpower not to lean into him.

"Let's go get some water!" He told her, and she nodded quickly. Water sounded awesome.

She scanned the area around them before this time putting her lips close to his ear, "Where's Shiori?"

Beck shrugged and yelled back: "Not sure! She disappeared awhile ago!"

He took her hand so they wouldn't lose each other as they made their way through the crowd to the bar area. The bar was set up in such a way where they had an awning type roof over it to block out some of the noise. The music was still pretty loud, but they didn't have to scream in each other's ears to be heard.

Beck leaned forward on the bar to talk to the female bartender, who was for some reason dressed up as a pirate: "Two waters."

"Eh?" She questioned back, obviously not understanding English very well.

Beck looked at Tori, wondering how they could get what they want without Shiori around. Tori leaned over the bar, too, waving her hand frantically by her face to indicate how hot she was. Then she wrapped her hand around her throat to show how parched she was, then said "Water" slowly, as if saying it slowly would help the bartender understand.

Winking at both of them, the pirate bartender gave them a piece sign before putting two shot glasses in front of them and filling them up with something that was _definitely_ not water. Then she walked away to tend to other people.

Beck and Tori looked at each other before bursting out in laughter.

"Apparently you told her something pretty good in that scene of yours," Beck complimented. He then lifted himself further onto the bar so that he was lying on his stomach. He dropped his head behind the bar, spotting water bottles on the other side. Grabbing two, he pulled himself back and grinned while handing her one of them.

Tori returned the grin, "Ooo, what a bad boy!" She twisted the cap off and took a long, refreshing sip.

"You have no idea!" Beck teased, taking a swig himself. Both of their attentions suddenly got pulled toward the front of the club, as they heard someone start talking into a microphone. When they looked, they saw that it was Shiori. She looked so different up there, however, as confidence and exuberance flowed through her as she gave her short introduction, that Beck and Tori couldn't understand, to the crowd.

And then she began moving across the stage and singing. The beat off the music made their hearts pound fast, and neither of them thought twice about it when Beck grabbed Tori's hand and said, "Let's dance."

They left the nearly empty water bottles on the bar top before going to the middle of the floor again. Just like earlier at the coffee shop, they couldn't understand the words, but the rhythm flowed through them like a drug.

Beck kept an arm around her waist, placing his hand on her lower back, as Tori placed her hand on his shoulder. They were only slightly aware of some of the people around them shouting Shiori's name. For the most part, their eyes were shouting things to each other.

_You're gorgeous…_

_This is how it should be…_

_Always…_

_Go…go to the rhythm with me…_

_I'd go anywhere with you…._

And this continued on. Once Shiori's first song ended, she quickly began another one. The beat in this club was unrelenting…if you never wanted to take a break, you didn't have to. If you never wanted to lose this free-falling feeling, you didn't have to. If you didn't want to talk, you didn't have to.

By the beginning of Shiori's third song, Beck had turned Tori around to dance behind her. He had his right hand on her stomach and his left hand on her arm that she had wrapped around the back of his neck. Her head was tossed back against his shoulder and their bodies were as close as could be as they swayed to the pulsation of the music.

His lips were close to her skin between where her neck and shoulder met, and he could feel and taste the sweat that had formed on both of them. He was just about to let his lips touch her when the song ended and the music actually paused for a moment.

Shiori began talking again, and again, Beck and Tori didn't know what she was saying…that is, until she said, "…Tori Vega! Get your butt up here!"

Tori's eyes got wide as she heard her name being screamed, and turned to Beck in fear as she heard a familiar beat starting.

"Beck, what did she just—."

He was smiling hugely though, "_Go!_ Get up on stage, Tori!"

She gripped onto him and looked seriously worried, "But I can't—."

The music began to get louder as it started to approach the part where she was to begin singing. Not wanting to argue with her any further, he grabbed her hand again and ran with her to the stage. People seemed to know what was going on so tried to their best to make way for them.

When they were standing at the bottom of the stage, Shiori grinned and reached down for her hand. Tori shot another scared glance at Beck, but once he said, "Show 'em what you got!" she finally grinned back and took Shiori's hand. With the help of Shiori and Beck, Tori made it to the stage and took the microphone from Shiori just in time.

"_You're so hypnotizing! Could you be the devil, could you be an angel! Your touch magnetizing! Feels like I am floating, leaves my body glowing!" _

And as she sang, she looked out into the crowd and saw everyone dancing like they had been all night. They were feeling the rhythm, even though most of them were on the opposite side now in not being able to understand the lyrics. Though, of course, Katy Perry is huge and they probably all knew the lyrics. She continued to sing, the pounding of the song striking her heart more than all the other times she ever listened to it.

"_Kiss me! Ki-ki-kiss me! Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison! Take me! Ta-ta-take me! Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction!"_

Tori moved across the stage much like how she saw Shiori do, feeling the rush of performing in front of a large crowd flowing through her veins. She looked down at one point and saw Beck still standing by the stage, _whoooo_-ing her as he clapped.

And before she knew it, she was singing the last verse; _"Boy, you're an a-a-alien! Your touch so foreign! It's…supernatural! Extraterrestrial!"_ And the beat was still pounding hard in her heart, but then the crowd started to applause her and it added even more fuel to her fire. Shiori came up to her again and gave her a huge hug.

"Tori Vega!" Shiori yelled into her microphone and everyone screamed as loud as they could. Music started to play again as the DJ took over again.

Tori walked to the edge of the stage were Beck was, smiling largely when she jumped down into his arms. He spun her around a few times before setting her to the floor, his eyes just as wild with excitement as her own, "That was amazing, Tor!"

Grabbing his hand this time, she pulled him onto the dance floor again.

* * *

><p>They stayed for another hour, and about time they left the club, it was almost one in the morning. They were both laughing hysterically, on a complete and total high over the whole night. But once they stepped outside the doors of Club Dragon, they realized that it was pouring rain. The rain was falling so hard that they could hardly see across the street. But Tori merely flashed a grin at him and pulled him out into it, screaming with delight and at how cold it was.<p>

Beck was keeping up with her, keeping close to make sure she didn't slip in her high-heeled boots. She did a few times, which only made her laugh harder, and even dare to do a couple of random spins as they ran.

Finally, she spotted a store that had a little awning at its entrance that they could rest under for a moment. She pulled him under with her, placing a hand over her chest to try to catch her breath.

"Oh my God…" She said breathlessly, still wanting to laugh but hardly having the air to do it, "We're soaked!"

Soaked, they were. Water was dripping off every part of them, from their clothes to their hair to their eyebrows.

Beck was trying to slow his laughing, too, running his hand through his hair to try to push it out of his face, "And I still think we have two more streets before we reach the hotel."

Tori swallowed hard and leaned back against the door of the store. All the lights were off inside so it was safe to assume it was closed, "Oh man, that club was so amazing!"

Beck nodded, stepping closer to her, "_You_ were amazing, Tor."

Tori looked at him, her chest still rising and falling heavily with each breath. She watched him take another step toward her, his hand coming up to her cheek, pushing some of her wet hair off her face. She saw the look of hunger and desire in his eyes, and knew just by how badly she wanted him that he saw it in hers, too.

But when he began to lean into her, she looked down and shook her head, "Beck, we ca—."

He tilted her chin up and captured her lips with his own. Tori pressed herself back against the door a little more, but pulled him closer as well as she met his kiss with as much vigor as he brought to her.

Having another wet body pressed against hers made her shiver as the chill started to set in, but his lips felt so warm against hers that she just didn't care. It wasn't long before she had to pull away, as she was still out of breath, but their lips remained mere millimeters apart as they held each other in place.

"Beck…we have to stop this…" she murmured against his lips, their foreheads touching and eyes only half-lidded.

"I know we _have_ to…" he responded in a low voice, kissing her quickly again…and again…and again…before he pressed against her and gave her a _real_ kiss.

_We have to…_They both thought. _But we don't want to…_

_()()()()()()()()_

Oh my gosh, everyone! Look how far we've come! You guys are so super awesome for giving me such supportive reviews! I love reading them SO much! And you have NO idea how happy it made me to write this chapter. Why? Because the whole ending scene in the chapter, from the time Tori started singing (I don't own Katy Perry's E.T. by the way) to the very end, has been the scene that has been playing in my head for almost a whole year now. Yep, this was the scene that inspired this WHOLE story for me. And to finally be able to write it instead of just think it…that's a huge accomplishment for me. This story is going far better than I ever hoped (it's even doing better than my iCarly story did), and I want to continue writing for all of you. See you on the next update!


	14. Let's Stay Here

**Final Project**

**XIII.**

Beck and Tori made it back to the hotel, the receptionists shooting them a couple dirty looks from all the water they dragged in. They tried to keep their chuckling to themselves and avoid eye contact with anyone that might have had to clean the carpet. They half-jogged over to the elevator, pretty surprised to see an old man waiting for it, too. Out of all the times they didn't get the elevator to themselves, it had to be then, at 1:30 in the morning.

When they all got on, Beck and Tori stood back against the corner while the man stood at the other corner. He kept glancing at them, looking upset that they were getting the elevator so wet. Again, they tried to keep a straight face until they got off, glad that the man wasn't stopping on the third floor.

"I am _so_ cold!" Tori exclaimed, hurrying over to her door. She was struggling with getting her room key out of her pocket, because her jeans were soaked which made it hard to create any room to reach in.

Beck stopped behind her, brushing all of her hair over her right shoulder. He leaned in close to her left ear, his wet hair brushing against the back of her neck, "I could warm you up…" He placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck, trailing his lips down to her bare shoulder.

Tori froze and closed her eyes, feeling herself become dizzy as she continued fighting for that dang key. Beck was driving her over the top, and what made it even more difficult to handle was that she was never in this situation before. Sure, she had her steamy moments with Andre, but it never got to the point where she felt like she wasn't in control. But she was having a hard time resisting the man behind her, and he seemed very aware of this…

"Beck, c'mon…" She tried to sound strict about getting his attention, but then he kissed a sensitive spot beside her ear and made her giggle involuntarily, "Beck, seriously!" She tried to duck away from him, but that only resulted in her spinning to face him and getting pressed against the door. He again kissed her on her lips, a soft moan escaping from her throat…also involuntary.

She shivered when he ran his hands down her arms. He placed them on her hips, thrusting her forward in a gentle motion. This is when he eyes widened and she put her hand on his chest to let him know to stop.

He finally did, looking at her in confusion, "What is it?"

"Umm…it's just…you know, maybe we should talk about this first…" she hated to be the one to break such an awesome moment, but one of them had to keep their head. And Beck…well, he was a guy. A guy she completely trusted, but an eighteen year old guy nonetheless.

Beck caught her drift and put some distance between the two of them, breathing in hard before releasing it, "I know, I'm sorry. It's just…dancing with you all night and everything…"

Tori smiled, not wanting him to suddenly feel awkward, "I know. Believe me…_I know_." She laughed shortly, pushing her hair behind her ear. She was happy when Beck returned her smile, glad there was no hard feelings. "I am freezing though, and I want to get out of these clothes and take a hot shower. And it's going on two o'clock, so…"

"Are you tired at all?"

She knew what he was getting at. He wasn't ready for the night to end. And truthfully, neither was she. It had been such a breathtaking night, who _would_ want it to end? So with an even bigger smile, she shook her head.

"Can I come back over after you're done showering?" he asked, and felt his heart flutter when she looked at him shyly and nodded.

"Great…" He murmured before leaning in for another kiss. He broke it quickly, though, when he felt how bad she was shivering. "Okay, I'll see you in a few," he walked toward his room.

Tori finally managed to get her key out of her pocket, and unlocked the door. She shivered even more at the coolness in her room and hurried to turn on the hot water. It took her quite a bit of effort to undress herself, but her naked skin thanked her when she was free.

She stood underneath the spray of the water for some time, all the feeling coming back to her body. Closing her eyes, she thought about Beck and how…how he was truly irresistible, and no matter how corny that sounded, it was true. She had been by his side for less than a week, and already she felt herself falling under his spell that she was having a hard time digging out of.

And it was probably because she didn't want to. She didn't want to escape. Even though she knew what the right thing to do was—she was _Tori_, she always knew what was right and wrong—she didn't want to climb out. She wanted to be in this moment…hang in this moment…free-fall in this moment…forever.

And she knew she should probably be worried about these feelings. Whereas they might have been normal to most people, they were _far_ from normal to her. Love was never that uncontrollable passion you see in romance movies, and kissing was certainly not the single best thing in the world like love songs tell about.

Done with her shower after about fifteen minutes, she got out and put on her comfy pajamas. She was rubbing her towel through her damp hair when she happened to see a blinking light on her computer. Curious, she moved the mouse over the screen to see a link that said:

**Video Message From: Andre**

Tori had told him that she would probably not be able to talk to him that night because she was going to see Shiori perform, so it looked like he just recorded a message and sent it to her inbox. She was almost scared to click on it, but had to know what he said.

As soon as she clicked on the link, a black screen came up as the video quickly buffered. Then his smiling face came on her screen, and he was holding his guitar.

"Hey, Baby Girl," he started, "I know you said you wouldn't be around tonight, but I'm missing you and couldn't get this song out of my head. I figured you could listen to it when you got back," he winked at her and got his guitar ready, "See if you remember this classic…"

Tori's heart dropped into her stomach when he began strumming a familiar tune…

"_I don't wear designer clothes, I don't go to the finest schools, but I know…I ain't no fool baby…"_

Tears came to her eyes as she witnessed the pure sincerity in his eyes and heard the same in his voice….

"_I don't know what you been used to. Never been with a girl like you-ooo, but I can give you a love that is true to…your heart, not material things!"_

As he began going into the chorus, Tori just couldn't take watching it anymore and quickly snapped her laptop closed. Angrily, she threw the towel on the floor and sat down heavily on her bed as she put her face in her hands and cried.

_What am I doing…! I promised him that nothing would happen…I cheated on my best friend tonight…_

When she heard a knock at the door, she jumped. She had become so lost in her thoughts that she momentarily forgot that Beck was coming back over. She got up quickly, needing to tell him that he couldn't come in and that he was just going to have to go to bed. She should have thought it through a bit more, however, and only told him this through the door, for it was pretty obvious to Beck that she had been crying.

"Beck, you ha—."

"Tori, what happened?" He asked instantly. His entrance didn't go as he had planned, for he only thought about taking her in her arms again when he came back. But now he was too worried to do that.

Tori shook her head and irritably wiped at her face before crossing her arms, "We just…we can't do this, Beck! We both knew better than to even give ourselves the opportunity to go as far as we did, but we need to stop…_now_."

Beck's heart and stomach clenched at her words, and he needed to know what happened to make her say all that, "Tori, talk to me. What happened between twenty minutes ago and now?"

Another tear slipped down her cheek but she brushed that one away, too, "It just really hit me how wrong this actually is," Beck looked like he wanted to continue asking questions, but she quickly interrupted, "Look, we're both dating other people. And the worst part about it is that _we're all friends_! And even if you don't feel that guilty about going behind Jade's back because of how she's been acting…that doesn't mean I don't feel guilty about going behind Andre's back. He's _never _done anything wrong to make me do this to him," she stopped to catch her breath and ran her hand through her hair in frustration, "And he's _your best friend_, Beck! I know for a _fact_ that he would never kiss _your_ girlfriend behind your back."

_Ouch._

Though…she had a point. Many points, actually. And they were all so damn true that he had nothing to counteract any of it. He slumped against the door, his head slamming back against it as he looked up at the ceiling. How was it that he could feel so alive one minute and the next feel like he was buried six feet under?

The silence was suddenly deafening and Tori felt terrible about practically shouting all that at him. She was just as much to blame with everything that happened between them, so she shouldn't be trying to push it all on him, "Look…Beck, I'm sorry. I'm just so…confused, you know? I didn't mean to go off like that…"

"Don't be sorry," Beck said, very emotionless, his eyes still facing up, "You're right. We shouldn't have done anything."

And even though that was the response she knew she should have been looking for, her breath began to quicken with anxiety and agony. It was utterly terrible for her to feel this way, but…she was really hoping that he would argue with her. Come up with some reason of why they should continue what they started. But no…no, he was just giving up…he wasn't going to fight for her…

"But we did," he suddenly talked again, causing her to snap out of her thoughts and see him staring at her, "We did do something, and we can't just ignore it like it never happened. That's what we tried to do when we almost kissed two years ago, and look where that got us. I ended up with my ex just to try to forget about you and you hooked up with a guy to try to get over me." He pushed himself off the door and stepped toward her, and she looked down. She should have been backing away from him…but her feet wouldn't move. She watched his feet as he got closer.

"Tori…can you honestly look me in my eyes and tell me you don't want to be with me?"

She snapped her head up and looked him dead in his eyes, "I don't want to be with you."

But words are only words. Actions…now those are the things you gotta pay attention to. She uncrossed her arms and flew into his, gripping onto the back of his shirt like she was expecting him to disappear at any moment.

"I don't want to be with you!" She yelled a little louder, but her mouth was against his chest and it came out mumbled. She tightened her grip even more, feeling him do the same, _"I don't want to be with you!"_

Her voice finally cracked and Beck felt warmth on his shirt as she squeezed a few tears from her eyes. He ran a hand through her hair, knowing that she had to let out all of her frustration now before it really got the best of her. Quite truthfully, he wished he could cry along with her. But crying wasn't his thing, no matter how depressing things got.

He led her over to her bed, sitting down softly with her, but she still refused to show her face. Beck spotted her laptop and wondered if Andre happened to call her when she walked in. Is that what started this?

Her shoulders stopped shaking and she took in a long inhale, letting it out when she mumbled against him, "Sorry…I don't mean to be such a drama queen…"

"Don't be sorry," he told her again, glad when she finally lifted her head up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "But can you tell me what happened now?"

Tori sighed, "I just happened to see that Andre sent me a video message and…he was singing me one of the first songs we ever performed together…and it started to make me feel terrible."

"Ah…" Beck nodded, unwrapping his arm from around her, "So…" He desperately tried to search for something to say. But he had to admit to himself that he was terrified of asking the wrong thing and Tori telling him he had to leave, "I'm sorry, Tor…I'm not really sure what to say right now."

She began picking at her pajamas, her hands always needing something to do when she was in a difficult situation, "I don't think I can break up with him, Beck…"

And there she was…telling him stuff he didn't want to hear even without him coaxing her, "Why? I mean, you told me that he never helped you—."

"But that's not the whole picture," she cut him off, pushing her hair behind her ear, "I mean…he kinda helped me out. As long as you weren't around to remind me…but when you asked me if dating Andre made me get over you, I said no, because…well, he never fully did. But you never asked if I helped Andre get over Jade…"

Beck nodded slowly, knowing what the answer was before she even said it…

"And that answer is a definite yes. I can tell he loves me…that he wants to be with me and no one else. I can tell from the songs he writes, from the look in his eyes…and even from him just hanging around. Us dating started off sounding like a crazy idea to him, but it didn't take him long to look at me as his girlfriend."

"Yeah, but…" Beck raised his hands before dropping them back to his knees, "Don't you think it's a little unfair to him if you don't have the same feelings for him?"

Using as gentle a tone as possible, Tori glanced over at him, "You're not one to talk, Beck."

Beck groaned and stood up, sitting causing too much exasperation to build, "I see what you're saying, but I plan on breaking up with Jade. But…I need to know what your plans are."

"I already told you, I don't think I can…"

"And why not, Tor!" He stood in front of her before dropping to his knees, "Why can't we just make this easy and—."

"Because it's not easy, Beck!" she raised her voice, looking slightly ashamed at him, "And how can you even think it could be that easy? We'll _both_ be hurting him if I do that. And…I can't even imagine telling him that we kissed, let alone…"

"Let alone what, Tori?" he instigated, grabbing tightly onto her hands, "Let alone telling him how you actually feel? You're only leading him on by doing that!"

"We've been together for two years and I never once felt like I was leading him on!" Tori countered, "I mean, how do I know that _you_ aren't just leading me on?"

Beck looked shocked that she would even ask such a thing. When did he ever give her that impression? Did it _seem_ like he was just trying to use her? But for what reason would he have for doing that anyway?

He grabbed his chin between his forefinger and thumb and made her look at him, "Tori, I would never lead you on. I liked you since the day you spilled coffee on my shirt. I always remembered how you tasted that day during your first Alphabet Improv. I wanted to help you when you came to me saying you were scared of doing that stunt. And I wanted _my_ Tori back when you went all crazy before the music awards. Tori…I'm not leading you on in any way. _You're_ the one I want to be with."

Tears were forming in her eyes again. She bit her bottom lip and looked away from him, "That's a pretty big confession considering we're not even dating…"

"Stop being difficult!" He yelled, leaning in closer to her and rested their foreheads together. He rubbed the back of his fingers down her cheek, "Tori, just…how about we just stay here?"

The question came out of left field and it actually got Tori to laugh gently, "So we're just gonna hide out in Japan the rest of our lives?

He smiled when he finally got her to laugh, "Sure, why not? We'll figure this place out eventually," they both chuckled softly, but then Tori rubbed her forehead softly against his and it got a bit somber again, "But seriously…how about we just _stay here_?"

Tori heard the emphasis he placed on his last two words, but looked confused, "I'm not really sure what you mean."

Beck sighed as he tried to think of the right words to describe what he meant in those two words, "We'll just, you know…stay where we're at. For now. Or whatever. I don't want to force you to make a decision, so we're just…not move. Until it's time to go back."

As Tori could tell, Beck was having a hard time unfolding what he was trying to get at. She tried to offer some help while trying to understand at the same time, "You mean like…hanging in a moment? Like…what happens here stays here?"

"Exac…well, pretty much, yeah. That way we don't have to worry about…stuff…and things," he grinned at his words.

She did as well, "Stuff and things, huh? Sounds pretty deep…"

He laughed, "It's actually a lot deeper than it sounds. I just don't think that…in the next two weeks of being next to you all the time…that I can just keep my hands off you without making things awkward between us."

Tori breathed in deeply and closed her eyes to try to figure things out mentally since they seemed to be facing a lack of real words for the situation. _So he's saying that, basically, he wants to have an affair. We wouldn't tell anyone, and act like no one else even exists. We'll be in a continuous time loop these next few weeks…not going back to where we came from, but not going further, either. Does that seem…right? Normal? Sane? No, no, and no…_

While her eyes were closed, she didn't notice that Beck had leaned closer to her until she felt his lips on hers. And again, his body, his breath, his touch, his lips…_him_…he was too intoxicating to deny.

She tangled her fingers through his hair and kissed him back, hating how much she loved him and the predicament they put themselves in. But he was right…there was no way the two of them could have made it the rest of the time abroad without kissing each other. If you do it once, you do it twice, you do it forever…

But whether their two weeks turned into forever, or their forever turned into two weeks, they were still very uncertain.

()()()()()()()()()

I am SO sorry that the wrong chapter uploaded! I guess that's what I get for staying up so late to post...

So again, I wanted to thank you all…this time for helping me reach over *200* reviews! Wow guys, you truly amaze me. And as you can see, we are now at the heart of the story. But don't worry! It's not gonna be as easy as it seems. They still gotta get through the rest of their time in Japan, and then head back to CA to meet up with everyone again. This story is far from over and I don't know about you guys, but I'm happy about that. I love writing this.


	15. Conflicting Emotions

**Final Project**

**XIV.**

The room was dark except for the dim glow of the TV. They had decided to move the TV over a bit in the living room so that it was facing the bed. They found a movie that had subtitles, but because of the distance between the bed and the TV, they could hardly read it. Watching TV wasn't really the main point anyway, since all they wanted to do was cuddle.

Beck was sitting up against the headboard and Tori's head was on his shoulder. They were wrapped in each other's arms, but Tori had fallen asleep long ago. Probably from all the excitement of performing mixed with crying; those things can wear a girl out.

But Beck, once again, was having a hard time falling asleep. He just couldn't stop thinking about the whole night. And where it had landed them. And he just couldn't grasp the reality of the pact they had made.

He was selfish for asking her to do such a thing, for one. He saw how much it was hurting her to go behind Andre's back…but he just couldn't let her go. Not after finally getting the courage to kiss her. But he wasn't the only one…Tori was being selfish, too. Being selfish against Andre to stay with him even though she wanted to be with Beck, and selfish to Beck for only making him _the other man_ while Andre maintained the boyfriend status.

And due to all that…it in return made him terrified to break up with Jade. If he did, she would no doubt suspect that it was because he was hooking up with Tori. And Jade was spiteful…he knew she would tell Andre all about it. And if Andre found out from Jade who found out from Beck…then Tori would hate him. And then where would they all be? All four of them would end up hating each other!

All this because he couldn't resist Tori…he wondered if he should wish that they never got paired together. If it wasn't for this final project, the temptation would have never existed…

He takes that back. The temptation to be with Tori has always been there. But he was able to control that desire because they kept their distinct distance from one another. If they did hang out, it was never alone. At least one other person was there.

But not now…and even if that other person happens to be Shiori now, what's she gonna do? She doesn't know the rest of their friends. Who knows if they'll even talk to her again after they leave Japan. And besides, she seemed like a trustworthy person. And she wanted them together from the get go anyway.

Tori moved slightly, causing her head to fall against his chest. It didn't look too comfortable, so Beck scooted himself and her down so that they were lying down. He grabbed the remote from the end table and shut the TV off, darkness filling the room. And he knew it would be daylight soon.

He ran his hand absently through her hair, her one arm slumped over his stomach as her head remained on his chest. He would do anything to have this moment every night…

* * *

><p>Tori woke up the next morning…or maybe the next <em>afternoon<em>…when she heard her computer blooping. Her eyes opened, and she felt Beck's warm body against hers, but she didn't even budge to try to get it. Whoever it was, she didn't feel confident that she would be able to look in their eyes and not express what was going on in her life. People could always tell when she was happy, upset, angry…she was a very expressive person. But she knew…that if she wanted to keep this up with Beck, she was going to have to kick in her acting abilities.

But she wasn't ready for that yet.

"Your computer's noisy…" Beck mumbled after the blooping stopped. His one arm was still around her, but his other hand covered his eyes to block out the light in the room.

Tori smiled despite herself and lifted her head so it was next to his, "I know, I gotta fix that." She stared at him for a long moment, still getting used to waking up next to him. His hair was a mess, and it kind of reminded her of the time the two of them had that sleepover at Sikowitz's. To this day, she is still shocked that Jade never came back looking for him that night.

Scooting closer, she kissed him softly on his cheek. This caused him to smile and uncover one eye to see her, "'Morning, Beautiful."

"'Morning," she whispered back, finding his morning look remarkable. How was it that a guy could look this good just waking up? She didn't know many people that could pull it off.

"What's on the agenda today?" he asked, flopping his hand to his side and closing his eyes again.

"Umm…I dunno. It's Sunday so nothing big is probably going on," he didn't respond to this, but as she continued to look at him, she knew she wanted to do something special with him. She wanted to get out and explore more things with him…things that she never experienced with anyone else. She propped herself up on an elbow, "Let's just take a cab and go somewhere."

He opened his eyes and smiled again, "We're just gonna tell the driver 'take us somewhere'?" When she nodded, he shook his head, "He wouldn't even understand us."

"We'll figure it out, c'mon!" Tori urged, sitting up more now and getting excited about their possible adventure.

"And how would we get back?"

"If we have problems communicating how to get back here, we'll call Shiori and have her talk to the cab driver."

"Hm…smart," Beck commented, then nodded, "Let's do it."

"Great!" Tori jumped out of bed to get ready for the day. Beck was glad she was in such a good mood and it motivated him to get up after only having about five hours of sleep.

* * *

><p>Somehow or another, telling the cab driver to take them "somewhere" worked out beautifully. It must have sounded similar to something he was familiar with because the man gave them an OK sign and proceeded to take them to their destination.<p>

They ended up in a city called Kamakura. They knew this because there were surprisingly some signs in English (though a bit off from perfect English, like "Welcom to wonder Kamakura!"). Beck was glad he brought his camera along, for there was a lot to see there. They went to a shrine area known as the Great Buddha where they had a laugh upon seeing a sign that said "Best Known Monument in World: Floating Torii." It was a shrine that was in the water, but Beck had to take Tori's picture in front of the Torii (and yes, they really got a good laugh out of it).

Beck took a close-up picture of them kissing when they were on top of a cliff, overlooking all the shrines that were about fifty feet below them. He took a picture of them standing in front of a shrine, though all that came out was the two of them. He was trying to look serious, and Tori was trying to be funny, but it came out looking sexy with her hair covering one of her eyes (story profile pic!).

They managed to get some other people to take their picture, and of course, they took turns taking pictures of one another. Tori was happy that she would be able to have so many memories saved, and wanted to buy a photo album specially for their trip.

At one point, they found a huge Buddha statue depicted in yogic meditation. In front of it was a huge group of people doing yoga. Tori dragged Beck over to the group, but they stayed in the back to participate. They didn't even have mats, but they didn't care…the grass was pretty soft anyway. Every time one of them got into a balancing pose, and was doing pretty well at it, the other would playfully knock him or her over. They were trying not to laugh too loud, and were thankful that everyone else was in their own state of peace and didn't notice.

They found a small home-type restaurant where they served only soup and hot tea. But it was the best of either they ever had. They looked through the huge zen garden, amazed at all the swirls in the sand. They had to step on small, round rocks so as not to disrupt the sand patterns, and this eventually turned into a pond full of koi. The whole surrounding area was covered with bonsai trees.

They spent the whole day there, and when it reached eight o-clock, they decided to try to catch a cab back to the hotel. Well, they were able to hail a cab, but the driver didn't understand them. And when they tried calling Shiori, she didn't answer.

"Figures…" Tori said in a defeated tone, "The one time we truly need her and she's not around."

"Eh, guess we should have called her sooner," he said, but was otherwise unfazed by their luck, "C'mon, we'll just look around a little more and if anything, we'll just get a hotel here for the night."

"You mean…one room?" Tori asked, but instantly wanted to slap herself in the face.

Beck laughed at her, "I don't see a reason why we should have to waste money on two rooms. Unless…" he pulled her up against him, pressing his hand into her lower back, "You don't want to spend the night with me…"

Butterflies came awake in her stomach as he said those words…with _that_ look in his eyes…and in an instant she became an excited, nervous wreck. They would be alone…and she knew that it would be _truly_ alone, because there wouldn't even be laptops to distract them.

And as it turned out, getting a hotel in Kamakura was what they had to do. They didn't want to risk a cab driver taking them somewhere else they didn't even know, and then trying to navigate their way around that city in the dark. But they were pretty relieved when it wasn't that hard to communicate with the receptionists, letting them know that they just wanted one room for one night.

But…silly, silly them…once they felt secure in having a place to stay the night, they went right back out again. They found a nice, pretty fancy restaurant down the street with live, classy music. That night, a band of three men were playing, one on the piano, one playing the violin, and the third singing. They felt a bit underdressed, but no one seemed to care.

"I'll just act like I'm wearing a fancy dress!" Tori remarked, fluffing her hair dramatically, "And my hair's done nicely, and I'm wearing dark red lipstick."

Beck smirked at her, "Or a ping pong uniform…"

Knowing what he was referring to, she smacked him playfully in his arm, "And really cute fishnets."

Somehow, this caused them to reminisce. They ended up talking about everything from her being in a soda machine to spy on them to singing karaoke with the iCarly crew.

They had started out sitting on opposite sides of the table from each other, both having their own booth. But as the night went on, they clasped hands from across the table, and then Beck finally made his way to the other side to sit next to her. He had his arm around her as they talked softly about their day and what they could do tomorrow.

Near midnight, the manager came to them and politely indicated that they were closing up. The band was packing up their equipment and waiters were placing chairs on top of tables to begin vacuuming.

Beck and Tori walked through the restaurant with their arms around each other, ready to head in for the night anyway. But when they stepped outside, the noise that filled their ears made them look at each other and crack up laughing.

It was pouring again. Very similar to how it was the night before, where they could hardly see five feet in front of them.

"I guess when it rains here, it pours," Beck said, grinning down at Tori.

She grinned back with a mischievous look, "Ready?"

"Race ya!" And with that, Beck took off into the rain, running down the street.

"No fair!" Tori yelled, covering her head like that was supposed to help as she ran after him. She wasn't even paying attention to how far ahead he was, let alone notice him sneak behind a corner so that he could jump out and scare her when she reached him.

She screamed in terror and delight, picking up her pace when he started to run after her.

Neither of them had ever felt so alive.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until they walked into their hotel room that her heart sank, "Oh no…"<p>

"What?" Beck asked, worried as he looked around the room, thinking that sometime was wrong.

She turned to him, "We're soaked!...and we didn't bring any extra clothes!"

Beck shrugged, hardly seeing this as a big deal, "I'm sure there's a hairdryer in the bathroom." He clicked on the light in there and nodded as he waved his arm at it, "There, see? We'll just blow dry them and then they should be okay by morning."

Tori bent her arms so her hands were wrapped around the back of her neck. _Does he not get that he's saying we'll be naked all night! _

And as Beck stared at her, he could instantly feel her discomfort. And as much as he hated what he was about to say, he cared more about her ease than his hormones, "Hey, Tori…don't worry about it. It's just me. And if it makes you feel any better, I'll sleep on the couch and you can have the bed."

Slight relief came into her eyes, yet at the same time, she felt that disappointment. _How is it that this man can always make me feel such conflicting emotions?_ "Okay…I mean, I don't want to put you on the couch, it's just—."

He stopped her, "It's fine, Tor. I understand."

_I don't think you do…_ She thought as she watched him walk over to the window on the other side of the room. It was a whole different view from their normal hotel, even though the rain was making it hard to really see. Crossing her arms over her chest, she walked over to him, "I can explain wh—."

Beck chuckled softly, "You don't have to explain anything, Tori. Why you so held up on it?"

"I dunno, it's just…" she looked down, wanting to tell him so bad but being way too shy to even mention it. But when he lifted her chin and kissed her, her body relaxed and she wanted to confess…

"Now," Beck began as he broke the kiss, "Go get out of those clothes before you freeze," when she nodded and walked to the bathroom, he said, "Hey, throw me a towel for my hair."

She laughed and threw a towel at him, "You and your hair."

"You know you love it," he teased as he caught the towel and scratched it over his head.

Tori walked in the bathroom and closed the door softly. She looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked at how scared she looked. And when you're soaked and scared, it can look like a scene from a horror movie. Slowly, mostly because her clothes were once again like second skin, she began peeling off layers of clothing. She thought about at least keeping her bra on until she got under the covers, but when she wrapped a towel around herself, her bra straps that showed made her cringe. And even when she took her straps off her shoulders, it was still obvious that she was wearing a bra.

_AAahhhh! Why am I worrying about something so STUPID! When I step out, I'll just ask Beck not look at me…simple, right? So why does it feel like my heart's about to pound out of my chest…_

She finally just took the bra off. She looked a lot better with just the towel on, but it was completely obvious to her, just by looking at herself in the mirror, how nervous she was. But then she sucked in a deep breath and held her head up high. She went over her plan of action in her head…

_Okay…first, open the door…second, walk briskly to the bed…third, crawl under the covers. _

Simple, right? She took a few more deep breaths before finally reaching for the doorknob and yanking the door open.

()()()()()()

Oh no! The first real cliffhanger of the story! That totally sucks, right! Okay, well…I kinda did it on purpose and kinda not. I still feel bad about uploading the wrong chapter last time and wanted to get this one out for you guys. So if you would be so kind as to give me some feedback on the real chapter for those of you who reviewed the wrong chapter to let me know my mistake. I'd really appreciate it. But the real reason for me saying this is that I wanted to post another chapter, and it's getting super late and this seemed like a pretty good place to stop.

However, I would also like for you guys to give me your opinions of what you want to happen. I usually try to make everyone happy and if you tell me you want something specific, I'll try my best to do it. BandxGeek123321, I'll try to add a Cat scene soon…Tori needs to call her back anyway. And BigStuOU has been asking me to add certain things in, like keeping you guys up to date on what day it is for Beck and Tori. Anyway, this is where the rest of you can come in. So tell me…

What do YOU want to happen?


	16. Catching On

**Final Project**

**XV.**

What Tori saw when she stepped outside the bathroom was not what she was expecting at all. She thought she'd see Beck still drying his hair…maybe just taking off his wet boots…maybe even still standing over by the window. But oh…oh, he was still standing by the window. And he had already gotten past the point of taking his boots off. And his hair was going to have to dry the rest of the way on its own. Because the towel she threw at him was now around his waist.

And _only_ the towel…

Her breath caught in her throat when she got a full view of him. He was turned away from her, but even then, he was a sight to behold. His back was just as toned and tanned as his face, and with his arms crossed over his chest, his shoulder blades protruded in such a way that somehow made him sexier.

"Are you in bed yet?" He suddenly asked, though not turning around.

His question made her jump and she pressed herself against the wall by the bathroom door. She death-gripped her towel, figuring it would be the worst thing ever if she dropped it, even if he wasn't looking at her. But the fact was, he wasn't planning on turning around until she got into her safe, comfortable zone. But she couldn't bring her feet to move…

"Um…" she stuttered out, wondering what in the hell got into her. _You're practically giving him the chance to turn around and see you! WHY! Why are trying to present an opportunity?_ She bit her bottom lip, and tensed up even more when he got tired of waiting for an answer, so turned around anyway.

However, he didn't seem as surprised as she thought he would when his eyes landed on her. But just because he was staring at her practically naked, she felt a need to bring out her comedian side to try to ignore the situation at hand. With a shaky hand, she pushed some hair behind her ear, "Don't you know that people can probably see you?" She laughed shortly.

Beck grinned and shrugged, "Eh, they can stare if they really want to. Doesn't bother me any."

Tori rolled her eyes, but kept her smile, "You're such a playboy."

Beck looked confused, "A playboy? But I'm not wealthy…or irresponsible…or promiscuous…"

For a second, Tori thought about correcting him (because technically, he _was_ being irresponsibly promiscuous with her), but simply shook her head and looked down, her hair covering her blushing face, "Right, I don't know why I said that."

Beck laughed and she heard him begin to walk toward her, "Hey, I was just teasing 'cause you were. But uhh…." He stopped when he was a few feet away from her, "Do we have the world's quietest hairdryer in here or something?"

_Oh…crap! Totally forgot about drying my clothes._ She had been so worried about her reentrance that she forgot what the main purpose of her stripping down was. And here she could have spent about twenty minutes drying them and they might have even been okay to wear to bed…her shirt at least.

Beck laughed at her array of facial expressions, "So you just want me to dry our clothes as you get some sleep?"

Tori began to smile at his small gesture, but then looked terrified all over again. Before he could even move to get his clothes that he hung on the small rack, she grabbed his forearm, "No! No you don't have to do that…" _God, how embarrassing would that be if he dried my panties and bra…_

"Hey, I'm just kidding," He grabbed her hand that she first grabbed him with, rubbing her palm with his thumb, "Why you so jumpy?"

"I'm not!" She instantly went on the defense, her eyes widening when she realized she really was acting like a spaz.

"Tori, Tori…" Beck stepped closer to her, still holding onto her hand as he brought both their hands up to his chest, "Relax, you're tenser than an actor who's about to perform for the first time."

_About to perform for the first time…_ Those words took on a whole different meaning to Tori than what Beck intended, and she blushed even harder when she recognized that she, Tori Vega, was thinking _dirty._

"I can help if you want…" Beck continued when he didn't see a change in her. He took another step closer so he was directly in front of her. The hand of hers that he was holding he left on his chest, while his now free hand brushed her hair over her shoulder, his fingers grazing against her neck.

So, of course, she tensed up even more. She swallowed hard and tried her hardest not to make her laugh sound stupid, "I think you're making it worse…"

Beck tilted his head slightly to the side and put his forehead to hers. He cocked his head up a bit, causing her to do the same. Her eyes were already only half open, and he could see her lips part slightly in anticipation for his.

He kissed her softer than she was expecting…and it somehow made her desire for him grow. His hand that was on her shoulder, and his other hand that was caressing her cheek…they were both just as soft as his kiss. Her poor mind was whirling about why this was.

_We're both standing here with only a couple towels between us…and he's kissing me like we're in front of my parents or something! I know when Andre wanted to start something, everything would get hot and passionate pretty quick…_

When Beck began to pull away from the kiss, her flustered nervousness and curiosity made her, without thinking, pull him back in for another, more zealous kiss. She felt Beck smile and heard him chuckle shortly at this, and it made her wonder what he was thinking…was he making fun of her?

But then she felt him press his body firmer against hers and it caused her to moan quietly from the contact. He took this as an opportunity for their tongues to meet, and it caused her stomach to tighten with anticipation…

They both tasted like the jasmine tea they drank at the restaurant, and they both smelled like rain. They were both certain they would never again think about one of those things without the other.

She tangled her hands in his hair, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be holding her towel in place. Because they were still so close, however, the towel didn't budge. Tori gasped for air when he suddenly tore his lips from hers, immediately kissing down to her chin, then over to her neck, biting down gently on her soft skin.

She arched her head to the side to give him better access, also slamming herself against the wall behind her from the extreme intensity her body was feeling. His hand traveled down to her hip before he moved it slightly down and behind her (at least as far behind as he could go with her body pressed against the wall), and she felt his fingers on the back of her thighs…

She was beginning to undergo a plethora of sensations she never before felt, and her mind jumped on a tilt-a-whirl that she never wanted to get off of. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes squeezed shut as these feelings took over, and she couldn't even stop his name that flowed out of her mouth in a voice that she never knew she had…

And then he stopped. His lips stopped attacking her neck, and his hands stopped roaming. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Her chest was rising and falling like she was out of breath and the whole thing was just too much for her. Her hair was starting to air dry, which caused it to become a sexy mess all over the place.

Beck smiled and kissed her gently on the lips again, "You're beautiful." And that was the only thing he said before he grabbed his clothes and then walked into the bathroom. And Tori was left standing there against the wall…still flustered, but now equally as confused and embarrassed. She had just totally let herself go and then…then he just stops like it never even happened?

She heard the hairdryer start and she peaked around the corner to see, since he didn't close the door, Beck, with his back to her, drying his clothes.

_After all that…and he just dries his clothes?_ Honestly, she felt like yelling_. What's wrong with me? What happened?_ But she was way too self-conscious now to even start the questions. So she walked briskly over to the bed and tucked herself tightly under the covers so he wouldn't be able to see any of her when he came out. She turned on her side and stuck her face in a pillow, forcing herself not to scream or cry.

In the bathroom…Beck was so turned on he could hardly stand it. And him standing there with a hair dryer in his hands was not really helping the situation anyway, but what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't go any further with Tori…

_But damn how he wanted to…_

If it was under any other circumstance, he would have taken her right then and there. She made it pretty obvious that she wanted him too, but…

_But would she want him tomorrow? Would she have regretted wanting him so badly?_

These were the questions running through his mind. He could tell that Tori was still having somewhat of a hard time accepting that she was cheating on her boyfriend (and what decent girl wouldn't?), and he had to remember what they talked about the night before. If he made her feel guilty about just kissing him…how would he make her feel if he went any further with her? Even if she was feeling it tonight…morning time always shines a whole new light on every situation. And then what? She'll hate him for seducing her? Their two week plan will end in an instant because she doesn't even want to look at him anymore?

And so even though he was more turned on now than he had been in a very, very long time…he really had to think about the _after_ with Tori. She holds everything that happens to her so close to her heart, that she has a hard time trying to grasp everything as a whole right away, and only focuses on one instant that may or may not change everything. That's not to say she takes things _personally_ (that would be a more Jade-like trait)…Tori just cares too much, is all.

Which then made him think…_Oh shit, what is she thinking right now…? I just stopped everything and left her…_ He turned off the hair dryer and looked into the room, seeing her facing away from him under the covers. He sighed. _Shit!_! So as not to make her feel bad tomorrow, he made her feel bad tonight. _Smooth, Oliver…real smooth._

Leaving his clothes for now, he walked over and sat on the side of the bed. She was still facing away from him, for he knew that she would look at him if she wanted to, "Tori, I'm really sorry…"

Tori sighed heavily, for by this point, she was beginning to tell herself it was for the best anyway, "It's fine. One of us had to stop it."

And she cringed at her words. She remembered there being plenty of times when Andre used those exact words on her. And now that she was on the opposite side…she knew those words were only half the truth. If you want someone _so bad_ and yet they stop you…it's _not_ fine.

"Yeah, but…" Beck ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't have to stop it like that. I was just worried about how you might feel afterward. I don't want to put you in a tougher position than—."

"I know. Thanks, Beck," she said, shortly yet sincerely. She didn't know why she lost her mind and willpower around him, or why she enjoyed that high feeling that he gave her…but she did know that all of those things were pretty powerful and dangerous.

She felt him get up from the bed and go back into the bathroom. She hugged her pillow closer to her. _I still want him more than anything…_

* * *

><p>Let's take a hop, skip, and a leap over to Argentina, shall we…?<p>

Andre was sitting in his hotel room with his guitar on his lap and a pen and paper beside him. His partner had gotten sick the night before (they assumed it was food poisoning since he wanted to eat at that restaurant that Andre told him not to) and was still pretty sick today. So even though it was one in the afternoon on a bright, sunny day, Andre just didn't feel like going out by himself. So he figured he would try to write a new song while randomly trying to video chat Tori, hoping at one point that she'd finally answer.

But when his computer started blooping to indicate he had an incoming video chat request, he did not try to kill himself as he fell over a chair trying to reach his computer only to see:

**Call from: Jade**

"What in the world…?" Andre questioned out loud, Jade being the last person he expected a call from.

But when he clicked on the accept button and Jade's sour face came on his screen, he forced a smile, "Hey, Jade! How you liking good ol' England?"

"Yeah, it's whatever, hey have you talked to Tori lately?" She got right to the point.

Andre looked taken aback, "Um…it's been almost two days now since—."

"It has been two days since I talked to Beck! First, he hangs up on me, and then he never answers my calls," Jade counted off on her fingers, looking like she would actually break them if they weren't her own. It made Andre glad that they weren't in the same room.

Andre situated the chair he tripped over in front of the computer so he could sit down, "I'm uhh…sorry to hear that? But I don't know why you're call—."

"I think Beck and Vega are messing around," Jade said, straight-to-the-point again. She was always good at that, at least.

Andre looked completely taken aback by her accusation, but then relaxed fairly quickly. This was Jade he was talking to…she's been saying that for how long now? Putting on a calm, carefree smile, Andre shook his head, "Jade, you don't have anything to—."

She cut him off again, "Oh, come on! Stop being so blind and thinking that your girlfriend is little Miss Perfect! She's over there in Japan seducing _my _boyfriend and _we _need to stop them!"

His eyebrows narrowed, her words not only tainting Tori's image, but angering him as well for talking about his girlfriend that way, "Hey! Just because Beck doesn't want to talk to you doesn't mean he's doing anything with Tori, okay!"

Jade laughed bitterly, "You're being pathetic! _No one_ has heard from either one of them in two days!"

He shook his head again, "Two days is nothing..."

Jade got closer to the screen, "Yeah, you won't be saying that when it turns into two _weeks!_ You need to get your precious girlfriend under control!"

Andre sighed. He hated having to deal with Jade's insecurities because, first and foremost, _it wasn't his job to deal with them!_ "Jade, I don't need you trying to put shit into my head. It's hard enough that we're all in different countries and—."

"Beck and…_that _aren't in different countries," Jade spat, obvious anger raging through her veins.

Andre felt his face heat up, "Okay, look Jade, I'm already tired of hearing you talk about Tori like that. It's not like you can do anything about it right now even if it was happening! So you might as well just relax and trust them."

Jade glared daggers at him, "You won't be saying that when you go back to Hollywood only to realize they've been screwing each other behind our backs!" She leaned closer to the screen again, fire burning in her eyes, "But you better not run to me for advice when that happens."

And then she closed the chat and Andre was stuck staring at a "Call Ended" sign. He instantly got up from the chair, knocked it over with great force, and paced around his room. How dare Jade accuse all that without even knowing a single fact! Just because neither Beck nor Tori had called anyone in the last few days doesn't mean they are doing anything. Maybe they just traveled somewhere and didn't bring their laptops…or maybe their hotel lost internet connection…or maybe—

Angrily, he slammed his fist against the wall. _Damn Jade_ for making him think and get worried over _her_ damn insecurities! He couldn't have been more glad that Tori helped him get over Jade than at that moment. He couldn't even imagine trying to put up with a girl like her!

He was feeling so many negative emotions that he had to write it down or it was going to drive him insane. He flopped down on the bed and grabbed his guitar and pen, already scribbling words onto the paper.

_Prove her wrong, Tori…_

* * *

><p>By the next morning, Beck and Tori couldn't have been happier that there were no hard feelings between them. They both just knew when it was time to let it go and move forward, and quite honestly, now that it was morning, Tori was pretty glad they didn't do anything. It still left that excitement…that <em>chase<em>…between them.

And they both laughed when they still couldn't get ahold of Shiori. Which meant they were still on their own. But they got into the taxicab anyway, but told the driver to stop once they traveled for about a half an hour, only to realize that they went into a totally different direction (they think). The driver recognized it when they told him "Tokyo" but Tokyo is a big place…the exact location was impossible to translate.

So they decided to enjoy their lost-ness a little bit longer. They somehow ended up at a temple, a museum, and a huge market. They thought about getting a different pair of clothing, but didn't find anything they would be comfortable wearing around the city.

They continued to call Shiori, but continued to get no answer. Somehow, however, through pure luck, they eventually traveled back into an area that they both recognized and were then able to find their hotel. It was a little after seven at night when they succeeded in their search, and they were laughing at this in front of Tori's room.

"I was beginning to think we'd never find our way back," Tori said, easily slipping her arms around his shoulders when he wrapped his around her waist.

"I wouldn't have minded," he grinned, swaying their bodies slowly as they prepared themselves for a brief separation.

Tori wrinkled her nose, "Yeah, but we would have started smelling really bad…" She tilted her head to sniff herself, pinching her face up, "Actually, I think we already do."

"It is definitely shower time," he gave her a short kiss before walking toward his room, "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

She nodded before entering her room as well. Though it was fun being lost with Beck, coming back to something familiar was somewhat of a relief. Walking around her bed to get to her suitcase, she spotted her closed computer on the floor. She had put it there two nights ago when Beck stayed over, and she had completely forgot about it before they left.

And she wanted to continue forgetting about it…but she knew ignoring it would not help matters any. Nervously, she picked up her computer and opened it. Once she started it again, her eyes widened with the amount of alerts on her screen:

**16 Missed Calls**

**23 New Messages**

**2 New Video Messages**

"Oh man…" she groaned. When she clicked on the first link, she found that 12 missed calls were from Andre, 3 were from Cat, and 1 was from Jade. All the new messages were from Andre and Cat, just asking where she was and why she wasn't answering. The one video message was from Andre, telling her he was worried about her, and the one video message was from Cat, telling her that Jade was hounding her with questions about Tori.

"But I didn't tell her anything," Cat whispered mischievously before giggling and ending her message with a loud, _"Byyyeeee!"_

Tori groaned again and dropped to her knees by her bed. She stretched her arms out on the bed, her hands clasping together. She hid her face in between her arms as she stared down at the carpet_. Now Jade's dragging Cat into this…?_

She almost jumped out of her skin when her computer started blooping. She looked at the screen to see:

**Call from: Cat**

Tori answered immediately, "Cat!"

Cat gasped with exaggeration, "Tori! I never thought I'd see your face again!"

Tori contorted her face to look completely apologetic, "Cat, I am _so_ sorry that Jade's been bugging you about me. Beck and I got lost yesterday and—."

"Oh no!" Cat looked worried, "Did you guys get unlost?"

Tori nodded, "Yeah, that's how I'm talking to you now."

"Oh my God, Tori, you'll never believe it!" Cat's eyes widened and she got closer to the screen, "I'm not the smallest person in China!" She giggled, then held up a small white cat ornament that waved its paw back and forth, "And isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Tori smiled, having missed Cat's carefree vibe, "It is pretty cute."

"I know," Cat kissed her ornament. Then her eyes suddenly took on that huge innocence they get when she was about to ask a question she was truly curious about, "Why have you and Beck been avoiding everyone?"

Tori shook her head, "We haven't! Like I told you, we got lost and couldn't find our way back here…"

Almost seeming like she didn't even hear Tori say that, Cat continued, "'Cause Jade's been pretty mad. She said she even called Andre to see what he knew."

The color in Tori's face drained, "She talked to Andre? What did she tell him?"

Cat shrugged, "I dunno, I wasn't there."

Tori folded her lips in, knowing that she had to ask the right questions with Cat, "Well, did Jade tell you what she told him?"

"Yes."

Tori waited a few seconds for her to continue, but when she didn't, she gripped her laptop, "Cat! What did she tell him!"

Cat sighed, suddenly looking very nervous. She fidgeted in her seat and hit her ornament's paw a few times to really get it waving, "Just that she thinks you and Beck are…you know…" she leaned closer and shielded her mouth like someone else was going to hear, _"doing stuff."_

Tori felt her body heat up this time, her mind going momentarily blank, "She said that…?"

Cat nodded solemnly, but then cheered up just as quick, "Hey, I posted some pics on TheSlap! Did you see them yet?"

Tori blinked as she stared at her, wondering how she can be so cheerful. _Oh yeah, 'cause she doesn't have anything to worry about it…_ Slowly, Tori shook her head and said in a dull voice, "No, not yet…"

Cat looked concerned, "You okay, Tori?" But before Tori could answer, Cat practically yelled, "Oh, Robbie's calling me! Call Andre and I'll talk to you later, kk?" She then blew Tori a kiss and ended the call.

Tori turned herself around and sank from her knees to her butt as she stared blankly into space. _Jade's already gotten to Andre? And now she probably put the thought into his head and…_She had to stop. She couldn't even blame Jade on this one. And really, Jade was only telling Andre the truth, even if she didn't one-hundred percent know it yet. _She_, Tori, was the one that was lying to everyone.

Pushing herself from the floor, she went into the bathroom, ready to take a shower before she called Andre.

_I need to end this…_

_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_

End what? No one knows…yet….

So first off, I want to apologize for the delay. Over the next few weeks, updating still may be a bit slow, because I have tons of assignments and exams coming up. That's why I was trying hard to update fast before, cause I knew this was gonna happen. So I also apologize for the slightly…crappy chapter. I'm facing a little bit of writer's block, too, but I'm sure it's just cause I have so much school work to think about. Once all that's outta the way, I should go back to normal.

But anyway, you guys gave me TONS of good ideas for the upcoming chapters. A few of you asked them to bang (sorry, not yet), some of you asked for them not to bang yet (here you go!), some asked for a Cat scene (sorry it was kinda short, but there'll be more), and some asked for Andre's POV and even some Jandre. I can't promise anything on that last one. Some of you expressed concerns that if Beck and Tori did bang, that she'd get pregnant. Do no worry about that. I do not like when characters get pregnant just like that. It adds in all different problems, and I'm just not looking to go there. Besides…they're only 18. I don't wanna do that to them.

So as always, thanks for all the awesome reviews! You guys rock!

_Enula_


	17. Star Crossed

**Final Project**

**XVI.**

"_Everybody be trippin', tellin' me—things I don't wanna hear. But Baby, they're not gonna see me cry, no, not one single tear, 'cause I know, Baby, not a single word is true, true, true…"_

Tori sat on her bed and listened as Andre sang her his newest song that he wrote not even forty-eight hours ago. She knew she should be trying harder to force a smile, but his trusting, loving words that usually made her heart feel warm was instead making her ice cold, because it was a lie.

_The whole thing's a lie…_

Tori had a hard time getting up the nerve to call Andre after she got out of the shower, and truthfully, she wasn't even sure what she was hoping for during the conversation. Did she want Andre to be so mad at her that he yelled, which would in turn make her blurt out that she thought they should break up? Did she want Andre to show his anger through silence, which would allow her to say they should break it off? Or did she want to see the same gentle, understanding Andre that she was used to that would make it all the more difficult for her to say anything?

Well, needless to say, she got the latter of those "wants." When she first called him, he went off about how Jade is as insecure as ever, told her that he was worried about her when she didn't call back in so long, and then proceeded to sing her his newest song. And none of that presented her with an opening to even begin explaining…anything.

"I wrote that in under forty minutes," Andre told her once the song ended. He put his guitar aside and, still smiling warmly at her, asked: "So tell me about what you've been up to."

"Umm…" Tori's hands started to get sweaty, "You mean these past couple days?"

Andre chuckled, "I don't know what else I would mean."

Tori tried to return the playful laugh, but it came out short and dry, "Well…I went to Club Dragon to see Shiori perform…and she was so great! You would have loved hearing her! And then I sang one song and—."

"Oh yeah?" Andre's eyes brightened, "How'd that go?"

Tori finally smiled for real as she relived that moment when she was on stage, "Oh man, it was so awesome! I sang the only English song in that place but everybody loved it anyway! It was even slightly more exciting than when I performed for the PMAs."

Andre raised an eyebrow, "Wow, really? But the PMAs were like…in front of a million people. And it was more exciting performing at a club?"

"Well…yeah," Tori twirled a piece of hair around her finger, knowing that what she was saying sounded very odd, "I dunno, there was just a certain…_rush_ that came with performing at Club Dragon. I wasn't expecting to do it, and Shiori just called me up on stage…"

"Wish I coulda been there…" Andre said, sounding slightly defeated, but then he perked up again really quick, "Hey, maybe if I look up the club's site I'll find a video of you that someone recorded. You think?"

"Eh…heh…maybe," Tori said slowly, feeling nervous about what else Andre might see if someone did indeed post a video. She knew that she and Beck didn't kiss at all at the club, but their dirty dancing could be just as bad, if not worse…

"I'll look it up later. Tell me more."

"Um…okay, well yesterday we—," Tori got interrupted when someone knocked on her door. She tensed up, knowing that it had to be Beck. And it was a little after eight-thirty, so she was sure Andre was going to be wondering why Beck was coming over to her room so late at night.

"Is someone knocking at your door?" Andre asked, mostly because Tori just continued to sit there instead of answering the door.

"What? I didn't hear anyth—," but before she could finish her obvious lie, more knocking sounded throughout the room, this time pretty loud. Sighing inwardly, she stood up slowly, "Yeah, hold on a sec..."

Tori hurried over to the door, opening it just a pinch so Andre wouldn't be able to see who stood outside, "Hey Beck, now's not a—," But she was cut off again when the door suddenly flew open, but she was more than relieved when it was only Shiori.

"Tori-chan, where in the world have you been?" Shiori yelled, her hands up in the air, "I was so worried about you and Beck and you were never here every time I—."

"I tried calling you multiple times," Tori interjected while trying to get her to calm down, "You never answered any of my calls."

"I accidentally lost my phone at the club Saturday night," Shiori explained but held up another phone, "I just got a new one today, but I couldn't remember the numbers on yours or Beck's phones for the life of me." She stopped and unexpectedly threw her arms around Tori, bringing her into a tight hug, "But I was so scared that something happened to you guys. The last time I saw you guys you were dancing like—."

Knowing that Andre was listening right behind her, Tori didn't want her saying anything further on the subject, "Yeah, we just decided to go exploring yesterday and got a bit lost."

"Well, geez Tori-chan, that was kinda stupid," Shiori said bluntly then happened to spot the computer on the bed, "Oh. Hello there! I'm Shiori!"

Tori closed her eyes as Shiori walked around her to her computer to introduce herself to Andre. _I swear, if she says anything…_

Andre gave a brief wave, "Andre. Nice to finally meet who Tori's been talking about all this time."

"Oh...same…here," Shiori slowly said, making Tori squeeze her eyes shut tighter when she heard the obvious falsehood in her voice. Tori started to make her way over to the computer to change the subject when Shiori turned around quickly and grabbed Tori's forearms tightly, "Oh my God, Tori-chan, you'll never guess what happened Saturday night after you and Beck left!"

Though Tori still felt a bit awkward with Shiori saying Beck's name in front of Andre, she tried to show just as much excitement, "What happened?"

"A guy from Danger Crue Records was there…which is like…one of the top eight major record labels in Japan! He said he loved all my songs and wanted to cut a deal with me!"

This time, Tori truly did get excitement and grabbed onto Shiori in a similar fashion, "No way! That's so awesome, when are you gonna start recording?"

"Tomorrow!" Shiori squealed but killed it quickly, "Oh, but that's not even the best part!"

Andre suddenly piped up, "Tori's gonna get to sing a duet with you?"

Shiori turned to face Tori's boyfriend, staring at him in surprise. But then she put on a flirtatious smile and waved him off playfully, "Well don't we have a smart guy on our hands?"

Tori's mind was whirling, so she was at first confused about what was actually being said, "Wait…they want _me _to record a song with you?"

"Isn't that great?" Shiori yelled again.

Smiling from the computer, Andre leaned closer to the screen, "Hey Shiori, since I can't do it, can you spin Tori around in a congratulatory circle for me?"

And with greater ease than anyone was expecting, Shiori picked Tori up and spun her around a few times, causing all three of them to laugh.

"What's going on in here?" Beck asked from the doorway, smiling when he saw the two girls acting silly, "I can hear you guys screaming from three doors down."

Tori froze while Shiori rushed toward him, "I got a record deal and Tori's gonna record a song with me!" Shiori stared at him inquisitively for a moment, "You a good singer? 'Cause if you are, I might let you join in…just so…you know, you don't feel left out."

Beck pointed his finger at her like he was about to take her up on that, but then responded with: "You know, I think I'll pass. _But…_" He pulled out a notepad from his back pocket and handed it to her, "I would like to be the first to get your autograph before you have to sign millions."

Shiori blushed and cupped her face with her hands while bending a knee to raise a foot up, "Aww, how sweet! I'd love to!" Shiori snatched the notepad from him and began to scribble away.

"Hey Beck!" Andre called out, leaning to the one side of the screen to try to see Beck better, "How's it goin'?"

"Oh, hey…Andre," Beck called back, peering around Shiori at the computer than over at Tori. He saw how worried she looked and she gave a quick shake of the head, silently telling him to please not say anything, so Beck promptly kicked in his acting abilities, "It's goin' good. Enjoyin' Japan as much as I can."

"Man, Beck, you need to do something about your girlfriend," Andre started, looking half pissed and half exhausted, "Because you didn't talk to her in a few days she started going wacko…and I mean, a little more than usual. I'm surprised she didn't catch a plane to Japan yet."

"Umm…" Beck took back the notepad that Shiori handed to him, smacking it in his one hand to try to ease the atmosphere, "Yeah, I'll take care of her. Sorry if she bothered you."

Ander chuckled, "You make her sound like a dog."

"Wait, _you_ have a girlfriend?" Shiori intervened, pointing at Beck with a weird expression, "So…you and Tori just—."

"Jade can definitely act like one at times," Beck interrupted, giving her a look that said to shut it. Shiori just raised her eyebrows in an "Okaaay then…." kind of look. "Anyway, now that I know no one is being beaten to death over here, I'm gonna head back to my room. Later guys," Beck saluted with one finger and promptly left the room.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Tori-chan!" Shiori said, waving behind her as she ran out the door after Beck, making sure to shut the door.

"What the heck is going on with you guys?" Shiori asked as soon as she was sure she wouldn't be heard from inside Tori's room.

Beck sighed as he pulled out his room key, "It's a bit complicated right now, but I really don't want to talk about it."

Shiori stopped, not looking to pressure him to talk, "Well okay, but I hope you get it uncomplicated soon. You could cut the tension in that room with a spoon…_Ha!_ I just made a rhyme!"

Back in Tori's room, she sat down on the bed again, feeling drained from all the mental drama, "Sorry about all the interruptions."

Andre smiled, "It's cool. And Shiori seems really nice…like…Cat-nice."

Tori nodded and returned the smile, "Yeah, Beck and I thought the same thing."

"Yeah…" Andre trailed off for a minute, folding in his lips as he considered how to say his next thing, "Listen, about you and Beck…" Tori felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Maybe you guys should chill out on hanging out so much."

_This is it…_Tori thought, feeling her pulse and heart rate increase as she got ready for some unneeded fight that could possibly cause the end of their relationship. And as she started talking, she knew she sounded completely ridiculous, "Oh, what Andre! You think we're sneaking around too?"

Andre held up his hands in defense, looking pretty surprised that Tori snapped like that, "No…Tori, I didn't mean it like that!"

Tori crossed her arms and glared, "Then what _did_ you mean? 'Cause it sounds to me like you're trying to keep me from hanging out with a friend."

"Damn, Tor…chill out," Andre said, "What's gotten into you? I'm just saying that maybe you and Beck shouldn't hang out late at night for awhile until Jade chills out with her suspicions."

"You think Beck and I are having late night meetings?" Tori yelled a bit more loudly than she first intended, and now she thought she sounded just like how a guilty person would sound.

"Well…I mean, you guys are hanging out late, that's why it's been hard for me and Jade to catch you guys on video chat. I'm not saying you guys should stop site-seeing during the day or anything. It's just…Jade's really concerned is all."

"Oh, so _now_ the truth comes out!" Tori said sarcastically, "You're only worried about Jade, is that right? I guess after all this time you—."

"Tori! Stop!" Andre yelled, looking sincerely scared and confused now, "Why you flippin' out? Aren't you concerned about Beck and Jade's relationship at all?"

"No, but I see I should be concerned with _ours!_"

Andre was now speechless. _How in the world did this conversation turn into…this?_ "What are you talking about, Baby Girl? You don't even sound like yourself…"

Tori glared at him a moment longer before averting her eyes away. And she felt herself losing it. He was right…she didn't sound like herself and it always killed her to try to be someone she's not. She uncrossed her arms and sighed in defeat, "I'm sorry, Andre…I don't know what got into me…"

Whereas Andre still looked perturbed by her outburst, he nodded slightly, "It's…fine. I can see how Jade continuously accusing you of cheating can be nerve-racking. Just…please don't do that again. You're scary when you do."

Though he said the last part to try to be funny, Tori felt completely awful in that she just totally acted like a gank to Andre and he forgave her in a second. Why did he have to be so nice?

"Maybe you need to get some rest," Andre offered, "You just got back to your hotel a little bit ago, so just try to get some sleep. Call me in the morning when you wake up, kay?"

Tori bit her bottom lip and nodded, "I'll do that."

"Great. Goodnight, Baby Girl and…oh, I love you." He smiled and winked at her.

Tori tried to smile, but it only became a small tug on her lips, "Love you, too, Andre. Goodnight."

Once she closed her laptop, she flopped back on her back and stared up at the ceiling. She felt like she accomplished nothing but digging herself into a deeper hole. She kind of wanted to go over and talk to Beck, but at the same time, she didn't. What if he was talking to Jade? Or anyone else? Would it look suspicious if she came over to his room so late at night for no particular reason?

Then she thought about texting him, but texting didn't seem appropriate for the moment. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, for her, Beck texted her first.

**Beck: Hey, tell me when I can come back over.**

Tori closed her eyes and tilted her head further back into her pillow. _Tell me when I can come back over…_Sneaking around was so dirty, they each had to literally always worry about who the other was talking to before they could make their next move. But since he sent that text, she was assuming that he wasn't talking to anyone, so got up and left her room to go to his.

"It's over," she told him as soon as he opened his door.

Beck looked concerned for her, "You ended it with Andre…?"

Tori shook her head, "No, I'm ending it with you. I know I said this a few nights ago, but I'm serious this time. We can't be—."

He cut her off when he grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips. He pressed their bodies together, the feel of Tori's lips and body against his becoming more familiar and addicting. And though she immediately responded by moving her lips with his, her arms remained limp at her sides.

Due to this, he broke the kiss, but instantly regretted it when her next words left her pretty mouth…: "Tomorrow, we'll act like none of this ever happened." And it wasn't a question, nor was it a proposal. It was a demand. So without waiting for a response, she turned away from him and went into her room without looking back at him. She hurried over to her bed, trying desperately not to spill any tears until the pillow could catch them.

Beck slumped against the wall, staring at her door like he was expecting her to come bursting back out at any second. But she never did. And he didn't even know what to think. Should he pound on her door until she answered so they could talk about this? Should he try to convince her to _stay here_ with him like he first proposed? Or should he just let it go? If they did forget about it like she said, then they wouldn't have to worry about lying to anyone anymore…but did he want to choose that over being truly happy with Tori?

He pushed himself away from the wall and walked back into his room. _Guess we're gonna remain star-crossed. _

But something told him not to get all depressed about it yet. After all, they still had two weeks together…

* * *

><p>The next day, Shiori came and got Tori when she was ready to head over to start recording for the record label. And of course, they brought Beck along, and they both made sure, Tori especially, to keep the conversation friendly and not awkward. But her and Shiori were so engrossed by getting a bilingual song down that figuring out how to act around Beck was not a huge worry. Though she could feel his eyes on her the whole damn time…<p>

They ended up spending most of the day in the recording studio. They only stopped for food and drink breaks, but once the record guys played back their finished product, they had to admit, it was worth all the effort.

"And to think, I still have the rest of my album to make," Shiori giggled. "Oh, and by the way, my friend Kaori is throwing a party for me on Thursday night. And since it's meant to congratulate me on my record deal, I only think it's right if you come, too."

"Oh…Thursday?" Tori bit her lip, glancing over at Beck who was trying to talk to one of the record guys who spoke very little English, "That seems like an odd day to have a party."

"Well, I have to work at Shi-chan's on Friday night, and I'm performing at Club Dragon again on Saturday night, so Thursday's the best day to do it," Shiori explained but then looked at Tori oddly, "Why, do you guys have something else planned that night?"

"Um, no, I was just…" Tori looked down and pushed her hair behind her ear, "gonna talk to Andre that night."

Shiori rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, "Oh, _come on_!" She yelled so loud that Beck and a few of the record label guys looked over at them, "You'll get to talk to him all you want when you go back home. Besides…" Shiori grinned and knocked Tori's side with her elbow, "It'll give you some time with Beck again."

Tori glared, "And _that's_ why I shouldn't go!" She was about to walk away but Shiori quickly grabbed her arm.

"Tori-chan! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!" She let go of her arm when she saw she wasn't going to go anywhere, "But I still would really like you to come. So you can meet some of my friends and just…you know, enjoy yourself. That's all."

Tori sighed and glanced over at Beck, finding that he was staring at her. But he didn't look away when their eyes met. It caused her heart to race and she looked back at Shiori, "Okay, I'll be there."

* * *

><p>Later that night, when Tori and Beck got back to the hotel, Tori stopped at her room as Beck continued down to his without even stopping.<p>

Needless to say, this broke her heart. Was he now just going to dismiss all goodnights and separate from her as if he didn't even know her? She said she wanted things to go back to normal, not become detached …

"You're coming to the party on Thursday, right?" she asked before he could enter his room.

Beck paused as he was about to stick his room key in the lock, slowly turning his head toward her, "I'm…not sure. I just might stay in that night and you can go have fun with Shiori."

Tori's heart was sinking lower and lower, growing smaller and smaller, "Well, I mean…just because it's for her record deal doesn't mean you aren't invited."

Beck smiled, "I know. Anyway, 'night, Tori." And with that, he unlocked his door and stepped inside his room. Once inside, he threw his room key with as much force and anger as he could muster, knowing that was one of the few things he could throw without causing serious damage to the items around him. But his mind was the thing that caused the damage within him. He knew Tori was just trying to be nice, but inviting him to a party was sending him mixed messages. And he wasn't sure if he should try to make a move on her again or wait until she came to him…

And Tori stood stunned at her door. Her body was like ice but her eyes brimmed with hot tears, and she hated herself for ever allowing the two of them to kiss in the first place. Whereas it first brought them together, it was now pulling them apart and the distance tugged at her heart like a sad song.

She slowly unlocked her door, wondering if things would ever mend between the two of them.


	18. The Poison, The Cure

**Final Project**

**XVII.**

Tori and Beck didn't see each other at all the following day, Wednesday. The sky was overcast and from what Tori could tell from the TV (while trying to ignore the stripping weather reporter), they called for rain all day, but none of it ever came. So it was a teaser day. And for some reason, this made it hard for Tori to text or call or go over to Beck's room to ask what he wanted to do today. What was there to do if it started raining? Not that they were strangers to getting caught in the rain or anything.

So she ended up talking to everyone else that day on video chat, starting with Andre, but once it reached one in the morning his time, he told her he was going to bed. He didn't even ask why it was one in the afternoon her time and she wasn't out doing anything.

Then she talked with Cat, mostly listening to her talk about her silly adventures that wouldn't normally be "silly" but Cat always made it work out that way. Tori even three-way chatted with Cat and Robbie for awhile, but she was starting to tell that something was up between the two of them. She didn't want to ask what triggered this spark when the two of them were in separate countries, because, honestly, she just wasn't in the mood to hear a love story. And so when it became obvious that they were more interested in talking to just each other, Tori politely dismissed herself from the chat.

Surprisingly, she then was able to chat with Trina. Since her older sister had gone away to college when Tori started her senior year, the two hardly got to see each other. Trina was _way _out of Tori's league now…

Though Trina didn't get accepted into any performing arts schools. But instead of this bringing her down, her prideful mind believed it was only because the school boards thought she was too talented for their "dinky little college." Somehow, this led Trina to major in Psychology so she could "professionally manipulate people using reverse psychology."

Tori truly felt bad for any and all of Trina's future patients…

"So Mom and Dad told me you went to Japan! And you didn't think about inviting me along?" Trina asked near the beginning of the conversation. The older Vega still dressed and acted the same, which made Tori smile despite how annoying that kind of was.

"It's for a school project, Trina. Hollywood Arts came up with this new thing to send the seniors to different countries to learn the culture and whatnot," Tori explained, laying on her stomach with her arms propping her upper body up, "Then we have to perform what we learned when we go back."

Trina looked disgusted, "_Of course _they would start something cool like that _after _I graduate! But you still coulda got a big suitcase. I woulda fit."

Tori rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you would have."

"Are you there alone?"

"No, I got paired up with Beck. Everyone was able to—."

"_You got paired up with Beck?!" _Trina suddenly yelled, and her voice was so loud that Tori had to wonder if Beck didn't hear that from his own room. "Are you one lucky girl or what? First you get to go to Japan, then you get paired up with the hottest guy in school…wait, is he still dating that goth chick?"

Tori closed and opened her eyes slowly, really irritated at herself for allowing the conversation to go this way, "Jade. And yes, he's still dating her. And I'm still dating Andre."

This time, Trina rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair. She was sitting in her dorm room, and she randomly started filing her nails, "I don't know why. You guys don't make a very good couple."

Tori pulled half her upper lip up to show her disgust, "Excuse me! A lot of people _do _think we make a good couple! And besides…two years means something, right?"

Trina looked at her with mock sympathy while slowly shaking her head, "No…no, it doesn't. My poor, naïve, juvenile, innocent, little sister…it means nothing at all."

"Okay, look, if you're just gonna insult me this whole time, then—."

"If I was you…I'd so make a move on Beck while I have the chance," Trina said out of the blue, never for once breaking her serious look despite all the expressions that were flashing across Tori's face.

"What!...What do you mean "while I have the chance"? I'll have you know that I _did _have a chance before but I turned it down because of—."

"Because of Jade, yeah, yeah…I know. I heard the whole thing between you and Andre before," Tori didn't even have time to be shocked that Trina knew this the whole time but never said anything until now, because Trina continued on with her initial statement, "You know, I was s_eriously _considering stopping you and Andre from hooking up that day, but…well, I thought that maybe you would try to go after Beck again while I was still trying to get him."

Tori's face was completely blank, "Um…you do realize that Beck and Jade were already back together by that point, right?"

Trina rolled her eyes again, "Well _yeah, _but he obviously didn't want to be with her! He wanted a Vega!"

Tori got closer to the screen with a bit of fury in her eyes, "Yeah, _this _Vega, not _you _Vega!"

Widening her eyes with over-exaggeration, Trina responded: "No need to get jealous, baby sister. You don't have to worry about me being competition anymore…I found myself some hot college men!"

Trying to find a smart comment to retaliate with, Tori opened and closed her mouth continuously, but her frustration was making it hard to say anything.

Trina gave her an appalled look, "Don't do that, Tori…you look like a fish."

Tori quickly closed her mouth then flopped her face right into her bed. She spread her arms out to her sides and just laid there completely lifeless. Trina stared at her for a few moments before sighing, "Look, all I'm saying is that you and Beck make a better couple then you and Andre…or Beck and Jade. She always scared me."

"She scares everybody," Tori's voice came out muffled from the bed sheets.

"Well, hey, you have fun over there, okay? I'm gonna meet up with some friends. _Lata Sista!" _Trina blew a kiss and then ended the call.

Tori didn't even bother to raise her head. Maybe if she stayed like this long enough, she'd suffocate and she wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. Of course, this was an absurd thing to think, so she turned her head to the side to stare out the window. The sky was still dark, but no rain was falling. She then turned her head to stare at the door. She couldn't believe how much she missed Beck even though they just saw each other the day before and he was only a couple doors down…

* * *

><p>Over in Beck's room, he was flipping through channels without even bothering to really catch what was on any station. He had been talking to Jade most of the day…well, it was mostly her talking about <em>her <em>days and how her partner always wanted to follow her even though Jade just wanted to go exploring on her own.

"But that's why they set us up in pairs," Beck told her, feeling bad for whoever that chick was that got paired with Jade.

Jade shrugged, "Then they should have thought about who they paired up before they sent us off."

And then he quickly asked her about all the souvenirs she bought, not wanting the "pairings discussion" to go any further. If it did, Tori was more than likely to come up and not only would it put Jade in a bad mood, it would cause Beck to think about her…not that he wasn't already. But talking about her sure wasn't going to help.

It got to the point where he seriously got tired of talking to her and said he had to go. He had to assure Jade that he just planned on going to bed early and was not going to hang out with Tori. This seemed to make her happier than he's seen her in quite some time, which wasn't that odd, since it was the thing that depressed him most.

But that was over an hour ago and it was already close to seven. He suddenly heard his phone go off in his pocket and due to the chance of the text being from Tori being fifty-fifty (since the only other person that had his number was Shiori), he quickly snatched it and looked at the screen, his heart skipping a beat when he saw Tori's name.

**Tori: I'm ordering take-out. What do you want?**

So she pretty much ignored him the whole day before, and totally avoided him today, and that's all she has to say? Truthfully, however, he thought it was a smart move. By asking what he wanted, she avoided the awkward question of "Want to go get something to eat?" Beginning a conversation in the middle was usually the best and most effective ice breakers, but because Beck was aware of this little trick, he didn't respond in the normal way.

**Beck: Nothing. Not hungry.**

And it really sucks when the one person you want to see more than anything indirectly asks to see you, but you turn it down. How does that work? But it was getting late, she was ordering food, so he would probably end up going over to her room to eat, watch a movie, blah blah blah…and he just didn't trust himself with her right now. He wanted to yell at her for being so stupid, slap some sense into her, and kiss her until the sun came up. And slapping girls just isn't right…

He was extra disappointed when she didn't text anything back. Sighing after about five minutes, he threw his phone on the floor and slumped on the couch so that he was lying down. Guess it didn't mean that much to her to see him…

If only he knew that she was a few doors down, crying into her pillow from the heart ache that was becoming more and more overwhelming.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Beck came over and got Tori for breakfast. They still had a week and a half left in Japan so they couldn't avoid each other completely. And he liked to think he was mature enough to act like everything was okay and to not bring anything up that would trigger any negativity.<p>

Tori tried to go along with this, but though she was a good actress on stage, when it came to acting in "real life," she was terrible. It was obvious from the bags under her eyes that she got little or terrible sleep. She had to find ways to perk herself up though…the party was tonight and she didn't want to be a thorn in Shiori's side by acting cranky or like she would rather be anywhere else.

Beck and Tori went to Shi-chan's for some coffee, but Shiori wasn't working at that time. Her father was, and he informed them that she was at school. So they listened to a couple people sing, but again, they couldn't understand the lyrics so they more so listened to the tone. To try to ease the tension, since Beck was used to doing that sort of thing, he tried to start a small game with Tori.

As one of the girls was singing her heart out into the microphone, Beck listened to the sound of her voice and the expressions on her face then said: "I think this song is about someone losing their pet dog."

Tori looked over at him in shock, mostly because that was the longest sentence they've said to each other in over two days. But then she offered up a small smile, "How do you figure?"

"Listen. It sounds like she got a little puppy for her birthday a few years back, and they became best friends. But then one day, she woke up and it was gone. So she's wondering if it ran away or someone took it," he chuckled when Tori stared at him incredulously for a moment, "I think I hear her say _inu _sometimes, and that means _dog, _so I'm just assuming…"

Blinking, Tori took a long sip of coffee then said, "Well, I think that she's talking about an instance when she was at a bar and some guy wouldn't leave her alone. And she called him a dog."

Beck shook his head, "Nah, the song sounds too sad for that. Why would she be sad if some creep was bothering her? The song would sound more vicious."

Tori shrugged, "Maybe she kicked the guy, but because she was really drunk, she didn't realize that the guy was a dog, so she felt really bad about it afterward…"

Beck couldn't help but laugh at her explanation, and this caused Tori to smile. Hearing him laugh was probably the best thing that happened in her life in the last few days, and it made her want to hear so much more from him. Her hands gripped her coffee tightly, feeling the warmth spread through her fingers, but oh how she longed to touch Beck's skin instead…

The girl ended her song but right away, a young man, probably about sixteen or seventeen, went up to the mike to sing. Right away, Beck and Tori turned to each other.

"Oh, this one's _definitely _about his fear of clowns…" Tori said while trying to keep a straight face.

"I think it's about his amazement at how beavers build dams."

Tori laughed at the absurdity, "You know, architects actually have to study beavers when they go through training."

Beck smiled at this useless piece of knowledge she had, "Well, then maybe he's singing about his desire to be an architect."

And similar conversations continued. They were amazed at the amount of people that wanted to sing that day, but as Shiori told them later on that night, it was probably because they heard about how Shiori got the record deal and were hoping that some important person was in the audience to hear them.

So speaking of later that night…they both went back to the hotel to meet up with Shiori since she said she had something for Tori. Shiori wouldn't show either one of them what it was until she and Tori were alone in Tori's room.

Then she showed her the outfit she wanted Tori to wear to the party. It was a Japanese schoolgirl uniform. The top was plain white but it came with a black and yellow plaid tie that matched the skirt. Though Tori thought it was cute, and she did want one even before she got to Japan, she looked at Shiori like she was crazy, "Why do I have to wear this to a party?"

"Because most people go crazy when it comes to outfits here. Believe me, I could have given you something else…like a maid outfit," After she said this, Shiori looked disappointed, "Aw, I shoulda! You woulda looked so cute with that feather duster!"

Tori raised an eyebrow, "So why aren't you dressed all weird then?"

"I'm changing when I get there. I think Kaori wants me to dress up like The Black Widow from _The Avengers. Hya!" _Shiori got into a fighting stance that mocked a ninja more than the female superhero.

"Okay, I'll stick with this," Tori relented quickly. But once she got the outfit on, she was very pleased with how well she pulled it off.

"Aww, Beck's gonna love you in this!" Shiori commented, but then folded in her lips when Tori shot her a glare. "What? Just sayin…"

Tori sighed and went back to looking at herself in the mirror. She still caught Shiori's eye though it, "Well, could you stop saying that kinda stuff? It got us into trouble before and it took us forever to actually have a decent conversation again."

Shiori looked sad when she heard this, "You guys aren't together anymore…?"

"We were never together," Tori paused a long moment before adding, "And we never will be. Let's just go." Grabbing her room key and a few other items, Tori and Shiori left her room and went down to get Beck.

"Wow…" was the first and only word that left Beck's mouth when he saw Tori in that short schoolgirl skirt.

Tori rolled her eyes as she tried to make light of the situation, "Yeah, yeah, let's get moving," still, she let out a short giggle and wiggled her finger to beckon him to follow her toward the elevator. And she didn't know it, but Beck's breath got caught in his throat when he seen this, and he was sure it looked more sensual than she intended it to be.

* * *

><p>When they got to Kaori's, they were both pretty happy to see that she didn't live in an especially huge house, which meant there wouldn't be a tremendous amount of people. But the music was already going when they walked in, and the rooms and hallways were littered with people talking, dancing, drinking, and having a good time.<p>

A pretty girl dressed as a teacher came over to their group and began babbling away in Japanese.

"We really need to learn some…" Tori said lowly to Beck, seeing him nod from her peripheral vision.

Shiori quickly cut her friend off, "Kaori, these are my friends from America, Tori and Beck."

"Hey/Hello!" Beck and Tori did a half wave as they offered a friendly smile.

Kaori clasped her hands together and gave a small bow, "Hello, nice to meet you. Please, help yourself to anything in house," though her English was very broken and she was hard to understand, they were glad that she at least could communicate with them.

"Show Beck around for a minute, Kaori! I'm taking Tori real quick!" And before any of them could go against it, Shiori grabbed Tori's hand and pulled her up the stairs.

Kaori and Beck watched them go before turning back to each other. This made Kaori blush, but then she waved him to follow her to meet some other people.

* * *

><p>Turned out, Shiori just wanted Tori's help squeezing into her outfit. She turned out looking stunning as usual. However, it took Tori forever to find Beck again. The house might not have been huge, but the place crowded up pretty quickly so trying to squeeze by people was time consuming. When she felt like she circled the whole house two times, she gave up for awhile.<p>

_I hope he didn't leave. _She thought to herself, suddenly worried that he got mad at her when she ditched him…though that was Shiori's fault, not hers.

Kaori had her PearPod set up in the living room, so it was obviously loudest in there, but the music could still be heard at any location. Tori stopped in the dining area after pouring herself a drink (and making sure it wasn't alcohol), leaning against the wall to try to scan the area. It really sucked when you felt completely alone in a crowded room because no one was speaking to you. Not that anyone did it on purpose…they were all having a good time, and plus, who would be able to have a conversation with her?

But then she glanced to her right and lo and behold, there was Beck. He was across the room, leaning against a wall much like Tori was doing. However, four girls surrounded him, each of them making their own exaggerated gestures to try their hardest to get him to understand what they were saying. But he just kept shaking his head, though he was smiling, since it was slightly amusing.

Tori couldn't help but smile at this also. It wasn't very often in life that someone would come across a guy like Beck. Seriously, how many guys looked like _that _but could still be considered the nicest guy ever? He was definitely something special, and even those girls that didn't speak English could tell.

Beck happened to glance up then and his eyes met with Tori's. Seeing that she was smiling made him keep his smile, because he saw how amused she was at his situation. As the girls continued to jabber, he rolled his eyes with good humor.

Tori's smile widened as she laughed quietly, seeing as how he was making fun of the predicament he was in. Beck looked back at the girls in front of him, and when all of them weren't look, he raised his hand up and opened and closed his hand to indicate all the chatter.

Tori laughed again and pushed her hair behind her ear. This seemed to be the signal that made Beck want to come over to her, because next thing they knew, he was excusing himself from the girls and walking over to her.

Tons of people passed in front of them, but it still seemed like they never broke eye contact. And with each second he got closer, her heart started to speed up with anticipation of feeling his body next to hers again.

The song that had been playing ended, causing the noise of the people around them to become louder. But another song started up fairly quickly, but it was a slow song…and a song that Tori recognized.

"_I try but I can't seem to get myself to think of anything but you. Your breath on my face, your warm gentle kiss I taste. The truth…I taste the truth. We know what I came here for…"_

"Having fun?" Beck asked when he finally reached her, an amused smile still on his lips.

Tori shrugged, "Meh…I can see that you're having fun though," and they both laughed.

"_I wanna be with you…If only for a night, to be the one who's in your arms to hold you tight…"_

"It was like Northridge all over again!" Beck joked. He was then forced to move closer to her as more people tried to get by, and when his arm brushed against hers, her skin got tight and she wanted…she _needed _him to just stay there…

"_So I'll hold you tonight like I would if you were mine….And I'll savor each touch that I've wanted so much…"_

"You wanna step outside for a minute?" He asked her, mistaking her dazed look for one of feeling too crowded.

"Umm…yeah, yeah, let's do that," they spotted a sliding door that was a few feet away from them, but Beck still grabbed her hand so they wouldn't lose each other. She enclosed her fingers around his, staring down at their hands as he led her outside.

"_Oh baby…I can't fight this feeling anymore…Drives me crazy when I try to…"_

As soon as they stepped outside on the patio, the music got more faded as did the heat. There was a cool breeze blowing which felt especially good against their sweaty skin. Kaori had a lighted pool on the deck, and a few people were in it splashing each other.

"I woulda brought my bathing suit if I knew there was a pool," Tori commented as they put some distance between themselves and the splashing water.

Beck stopped when they got to the edge of the patio, a small, wooden railing setting up the boundary for the property, "We can always go swimming when we get back to the hotel if you want."

"Maybe…" Tori said slowly, not sure how she'd handle being next to him in a pool now. And she noticed that they were still holding hands, but she didn't want to mention it in fear he'd break contact.

But without meaning to, she ended up squeezing his hand tighter which made him look at her with concern, "You okay, Tori? You look like you're about to pass out…"

Another thing that sucks: when you don't realize something until someone points it out. She was feeling rather lightheaded and dizzy, and she knew it couldn't have been from her drink this time. But when she looked at him, the feeling came on even stronger and she knew then that what she was feeling had nothing to do with alcohol…it was her feelings for him getting deeper.

Tori put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. She shook her head, "No…no, I mean, I'm fine. I'm just…" She squinted her eyes open to see him still showing concern. But her gaze quickly dropped to his lips and this made her lick her own lips.

"Tori?"

Seeing his mouth move to form her name snapped her out of her trance, "Sorry." She glanced around the party then suddenly said, "I don't want to be here."

Beck didn't question her, "All right, let's get outta here." Since he was still holding her hand, he pulled her back to head inside the house so they could find Shiori to help them get back.

Of course, she was disappointed that they were leaving so soon, but she agreed with Beck when he said that Tori didn't look so well. She didn't want them to have to pay for a cab, and since she didn't drink anything, agreed to drive them back. It was only about a ten minute drive, so she didn't mind.

Tori wanted to sit in the back with Beck so badly, but didn't want to seem….she didn't even know what she didn't want to seem. Didn't want to seem what she actually was? So she ended up sitting in the front with Shiori, though Shiori did most of the talking, mostly about seeing a lot of friends she hadn't in awhile.

"Thanks, Shiori," Beck said when she pulled up to the hotel to drop them off.

"No problem. Oh! And Tori?" Beck had already gotten out of the car and Tori was just then stepping out when Shiori stopped her by grabbing her arm. Tori watched Shiori nod her head up to silently signal toward Beck, "Sometimes the poison is the cure."

Tori felt that familiar sting in her nose when she heard these words, but without responding, she got out of the car and walked inside the hotel with Beck. She didn't see the huge grin on Shiori's face as she drove away.

()()()()()()

Okay, first off, I am SOOOO terribly sorry for the long wait. Like I said, homework is invading my life. But on the bright side, I got one final and two projects done. Now I just have one essay and two finals to go. And then I'm home freeee! Until September 5th when fall semester starts. Anyway, I know not a whole lot happened in this chapter, but as you can probably tell, it's leading up to something gooooood! So I'll try to update as fast as I can again, though it may not be for a few days. Thanks for your continued support!


	19. Wishing it Was You

****_Warning: This chapter contains slight sexual content. But only slight. You have been warned!_

**Final Project**

**XVIII.**

"Are you feeling any better?" Beck asked Tori as they began their elevator ride up to the third floor. They were standing on opposite ends of the elevator, and honestly, it made Tori sick to her stomach. If the two of them never started anything, Beck would have no problem holding onto her in concern. And if the two of them never ended anything (though, Tori could only blame herself for that one), then Beck would have no problem holding and kissing her.

"Still feel a bit queasy," Tori said, though tried to force a small smile to indicate it was no big deal.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened up to let them off. When they reached Tori's door, she stopped, but Beck turned around and continued to walk backwards as he spoke to her: "All right, Tor, get some sleep, okay? Maybe you're just overly tired."

Tori's heart began to pound hard, but when she saw that Beck was about to turn around again and head to his own room, the words just shot out of her mouth: "Wait, Beck, stay with me for awhile."

Abruptly, Beck stopped. He stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head and looking down, running his hand through his hair, "I don't think that's such a good idea, Tori."

Tori swallowed hard and again tried to force a smile, "C'mon, please? We haven't really talked in awhile and I—."

"We talked all day," Beck interrupted, and he didn't realize quite how harshly he said it until he saw her eyes shoot down to the floor quickly.

She gave a mirthless chuckle, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. Goodnight."

He watched her turn sharply to her door and dig out her room key. He saw the small light flash a few times after she pulled the key out and as soon as the door clicked open, which sounded like some sort of explosion in his head, he sighed heavily, "Okay…I'll stay for awhile. Maybe we can find something to watch…"

Tori looked over her shoulder as she watched him walk toward her. She tried to pull it off like it was no big deal, but this moment meant everything to her. She was a little worried about how awkward it might be to sit on the couch with him, but her mind was in so many different places at once that that simple thought didn't amount to much.

They both walked into her room, and Tori quickly made her way over to her bed and clicked the light on to give the room a shadowy look. She suddenly felt slightly embarrassed that she was in that school girl uniform, but when she saw Beck make his way down into the living room area and flop on the couch, she didn't even want to waste time changing into something else.

She made her way down the steps and slowly walked around the catch, her hands clasping together, then releasing to her sides, then clasping again. She was so nervous she didn't even know what was appropriate for her hands to be doing.

Finally, she settled for her hands holding tightly onto her skirt as she sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

Beck's hands seemed to be having a similar problem as he kept patting his legs, waiting for her to do or say something.

"So…you wanna watch something?" She asked him with uncertainty.

Beck waved his hand at the TV, "Sure."

Tori noticed that he was avoiding her gaze and thought that she was maybe making him nervous when she looked at him. She turned to the TV and saw that the remote was right next to it. And it seemed so far away…

She suddenly turned to him, "Look, Beck, I'm really sorry about how things played out. But I don't like this…uncomfortable feeling."

Beck sighed and rested his head against the back of the couch, staring upward, "Don't worry, things will be different once we get back to California."

"What do you mean…different?"

"I mean…it'll be the same," Beck glanced over at her and saw that she gave him a confused look at his contradiction, "As in, we'll be around everyone else again, so it'll go back to normal. We're just…awkward right now because we're…alone and…yeah, you know, maybe I should get going, I'll see you tomorrow," he stated the last part so quickly that Tori's head started whirling with things that she could say.

She panicked when she saw him about to stand up and scooted closer to him to grip his arm, "Beck, don't go! I'm sorry that I made you talk about something you don't want to, it's just…" she slowly released his arm when she thought he'd stay, "I just…"

He waited for her to finish, but when it became clear that that might not happen anytime soon, his shoulders slumped, "I just don't think we have anything to really discuss. You made it clear that we were a mistake and that—."

"I never said we were a mistake!" Tori countered, staring at him with petrified eyes, "I never even _thought_ that!"

Beck sighed, "I think you're having a memory relapse. Look, I don't want to argue with you, Tor. I really don't. That's why I think it'll just be best if we…avoid…_these _situations."

Tori blinked a couple times before letting her eyes wander to her hands that were in her lap. Beck saw the tortured look in her eyes, and he felt the same thing in his heart, but he honestly didn't know what she wanted from him. She may want to go back to just being friends, but didn't she see that it was killing him to sit beside her and not be able to touch her?

"I…" the small word escaped her lips in an even smaller voice, and his hands gripped his jeans tightly when he saw her whole body inhale, "miss you…" She turned to him again and, boldly, before she could change her mind, she rested her forehead against the side of his head. "I miss you," she said again, but this time, her lips were close to his ear. Beck closed his eyes and gripped his jeans even tighter, wondering why she was punishing him so much…

He swallowed, though his mouth and throat were dry, "I'm right here." He hardly recognized his own voice.

She nodded her head slowly against his, "I know…" Tilting her head up a bit, she placed a small kiss on his cheek. His sharp inhale made her pull back slightly, and it made her notice his body posture. He was so tense and his eyes were closed tightly, and it made her realize…just how much he missed her as well. He was barely keeping it together, but then again, neither was she.

Licking her lips, she kissed him on the cheek again, and again…and again, and her lips kept getting closer and closer to his until they finally reached their destination. Her eyes fluttered shut in pure bliss at feeling his lips against hers again, and her heart pounced with joy when his lips moved against hers.

But it was just like the last kiss they shared…except they were in reversed roles. Though his lips responded, the rest of his body didn't, as his hands continued to grasp onto her jeans instead of reaching out to her.

Their kissing sounds filled the otherwise silent room, which made her subconsciously wonder how long that silence was going to last until someone wanted to video chat…

She broke their kiss and rested her forehead against the side of his head again, both of them trying to catch their breath, "It's getting late…" The words slipped out of Tori's mouth as they were meant to be the beginning words to how she wanted to say that her computer would probably beep sooner than not, and how she wanted to turn her computer off before they continuously got interrupted.

But Beck took those words for having a completely different meaning. To him, she was saying, "It's getting late…so you should go back to your room and forget this ever happened." And in his defense, that's what those three words would normally lead to. So he couldn't be blamed when he felt like he overstayed his welcome. He stood up quickly, "Right, it is. Have a good night, Tor. Try to get some sleep."

He was already half way out the door when Tori's mouth finally fell open in shock. _What…what just happened?_

She stood up quickly and called his name, but then her door shut and she realized he was probably already at his door by now. She stood there dumbfounded…over how they could share a moment so intimate and then the next so distant.

Raking her hands in her hair, she began to pace in frustration. _No…no, this can't be happening! I don't want to say goodnight…it's too soon. I still need him…_

Her head snapped to her bed when, indeed, her computer started blooping. If it wasn't for her ruining the moment, whoever was calling would surely be the culprit. But it didn't even matter to her that they weren't. Angrily, she jumped up the stairs and unplugged her computer from the wall viciously. Of course, that wasn't enough to turn off her computer, so, with the screen facing away from her, she reached over and held down the power button. Within a couple seconds, she saw all the lights on the laptop shut off.

She had tears in her eyes, but she didn't even give a shit. She walked briskly to her door, then down the hall to Beck's door. She pounded loudly, and she was sure that he knew it was her. Which actually made her surprised that he answered.

Beck might have figured it was her, but that still didn't stop the surprised look in his eyes, "Tori, what are you—."

But before he could finish, she threw herself on him and pressed her lips to his. Of course, he was even more surprised now, and having not been expecting her to throw herself on him, he didn't have time to steady himself before he was pushed back inside his room. She tangled her hands in his hair, and more so to maintain balance, Beck rested his hands on her hips.

Tori somehow managed to turn them slightly so he was pressed against the wall beside the door that just then closed.

"Mmm, Tori…" He tried to say, but it came out very muffled as she wouldn't give him enough time or space to say anything.

When she finally broke the kiss enough for him to say something, she beat him to it: "I love you." But before he could respond, she was kissing him again, giving her own cues on when she was pulling away enough to say the words to him again and again, "I love you…I love you..."

Her mind was racing too fast to comprehend what was truly going on with him, and Beck's heart was getting ready to pound out of his chest. He squeezed her hips and ran his hands slightly up her body, feeling the bare skin of her stomach since the top of the school girl uniform was short and rose up when her hands raised to be in his hair.

She moaned softly when she felt his hands touch her skin, and she instinctively pressed herself closer against him. Loving how she was reacting to such a small touch, Beck turned them around so Tori was now the one pressed against the wall. He tried to break away to talk to her, but she just kept pulling him back in.

Tori felt like if she didn't just continue with what they were doing, that the moment would break again. She didn't want him to tell her to stop. She didn't want him to tell her to go back to her room. And most importantly…she didn't want him to tell her that it was too late.

But Beck needed to say something. He grabbed her hands and pressed them against the wall beside her head and pulled himself away from the kiss. Tori didn't stand a chance with trying to fight her way out of his trap. They were both breathing hard, their breaths intermingling in the small space between them.

"Tori…" Beck was finally able to begin once he calmed down enough, "Where did this come from?"

Tori closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her chest still rising and falling heavily. But she didn't answer his question, instead, she intertwined their fingers together and squeezed tightly.

Beck stared at her, loving how she looked with swollen lips and a flushed face. He almost forgot that he even asked her anything as he released one of her hands to push her hair away from her neck so he could tilt his head and kiss it softly. This made her skin get tight, and a small gasp escaped from her lips at the feel of his mouth on her skin.

And, of course, as soon as he began making his way to her lips again, his computer started blooping to indicate a video chat request. He started to turn his head to the side, but Tori quickly grabbed his face and smashed their lips together again.

As soon as they both opened their mouths in need of a breath, she slipped her tongue in to deepen the kiss. If it wasn't for the extreme moment, and her trying not to think of all the consequences or reasons why this was so wrong, Tori would have never been so bold. But she did _not _want Beck to answer that call. Or even look to see who it was in fear that it might distract him.

Beck was as surprised as she was by her action, but he waited way too long to have her like this to question it. His tongue met hers, and this was when Tori's hands went to his shoulders and slid his unbuttoned plaid over shirt down his arms. He had to bring his arms behind him in order to pull it off all the way, but his body pressed against hers as much as it could in the meantime.

When he finally had it off and had it tossed to the side carelessly, he brought his arm under her right knee and lifted her leg up to allow him to get even closer to her. Out of reaction, Tori pressed her hips into his and she very obviously felt how excited he was about their current situation.

And this was when she started to feel a bit nervous. Though they hadn't even gotten to anything _sexual _yet, the fact was, this was about the furthest she'd ever went with anyone. She never allowed the moments between her and Andre to get this far in fear that he might not want to stop. But now…

But now she was fearing that _she _might not want to stop…

"Tori…" he said her name breathlessly when he managed to escape again. Sweat was forming between the two of them, and the hair on his forehead was slightly matted to his skin, "I don't know how much further we can go before I can't stop…" he chuckled lowly, indicating that he was only slightly joking.

Tori pressed her head against the wall again, and she knew that she had to tell him…one way or the other he was going to find out.

"Beck…" she began, closing her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. She lifted her head up and looked into his eyes…and there it was. The moment she'd been waiting for…to see that longing, loving look in his eyes, and to just…_be here _with him; "I'm still a virgin." And as the words slipped from her mouth, she could see a surprised look overcome his features.

"A…a virgin?" He suddenly released her leg that he had been holding up, and the blank feeling of not feeling him so close to her was overwhelming, "Why didn't you tell me sooner…?"

She laughed softly, "It never really came up."

He blinked a few times, trying to get his mind back in the right place. He took a step away from her, really not knowing what he was supposed to do next. It was truly surprising to hear her say that, only because her and Andre had been dating for so long and he had just assumed…

"Please, Beck, don't make this weird or anything…I just wanted to tell you before…"

Beck stared at her as he waited for her to finish her sentence, but when he saw a deep blush settle on her cheeks, he knew what she meant, "Yeah, but Tor…are you sure you want your first time to be with…me?"

Tori took in a deep breath and quickly looked around the room as though the objects in it would give her the answer. She bit her bottom lip as her fingers began to fidget around with each other from both hands, "I meant what I said when I first came over…when I said I…" she paused here and looked him in the eye again, "I love you…and that didn't just happen suddenly. It started from the first moment I met you…and it started to grow faster around the time of the music awards…"

She stopped for a moment, and she could tell by the way he was looking at her that he knew where the story was leading, but she wanted to tell him anyway: "I told you the story of how Andre and I got together. It was a very…fake way to get into a relationship. And even though it was my idea, from the start, I never really expected us to last. Even when we made it to six months…then a year…then a year a half…then two years…it still never felt _real _to me. I mean, I care about him…and there were times when I really did think I could fall in love with him eventually. But I…I just couldn't go through with sleeping with him until that moment came.

"But being here with you…" she suddenly exhaled a huge breath that she didn't even realize she was holding, "It really makes me realize why I could never do it. It's because…because I knew that I would be wishing it was you if I did."

Beck closed his eyes slowly upon hearing her words. He thought back to the last few years and how every time he was with Jade…he did the exact same thing that Tori said she would do.

"I always wondered…" he began, opening his eyes, "what it would be like to wake up to you every morning instead of…" he trailed off, not even wanting to mention her name right then, "And it hurt. Not just because I thought it would never happen, but because I couldn't imagine it. Because she was always there to stop those fantasies."

Tori felt that sting in her nose again, and had to mentally talk herself out of crying, "I really screwed up turning you down a few years ago, huh?"

Beck gave a half smirk, trying to make light of the situation, "Yeah, kinda…" She gave him a look of slight disbelief that he would agree with her so quickly, "But it was my fault, too. I should have fought harder for you."

Folding in her lips, she took those few steps toward him to be against him again. She looked up at him with a shy air, "You can fight for me now."

He chuckled lowly, pushing some of her hair behind her ear, "That's what I've been trying to do. I don't seem to be very good at it."

A bright smile tugged up her lips, "You're Beck Oliver. You're good at everything."

Chuckling again, he shook his head slightly, "I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

"Can I find out?" Tori daringly asked, making sure to keep her eyes locked on his to let him know that she was serious.

Beck swallowed hard but continued to meet her stare, "Are you sure?"

Tori licked her lips again and stood up on her toes to kiss him, the same overpowering feeling rushing through her veins, "I've been sure."

Beck pressed his forehead to hers, lingering in their moment together. Then very suddenly, he wrapped an arm around her back and under her knees and scooped her off the floor. She laughed at the comedic romantic-ness of the gesture, but got lost in the moment again when he kissed her and laid her down on his bed.

She tried to keep her heart from beating so hard and the pulse in her wrists from pounding against her skin from the mad flow of adrenaline surging through her body, especially when she felt him climb on top of her and press some of his weight against her.

He pulled back just enough to allow his lips to move against hers when he said: "I love you, too, Tor."

And she felt a new tingling sensation awaken as she felt his hands begin to trail down her body.

()()()()()()()()()

Why, hello there, everyone! Did ya miss me? ^_^ Sorry this took so dang long, had to get all that homework done. But hey, was this chapter worth the wait? They're nearing the last week of their time in Tokyo, and then "Snap! Back to reality, oh! There goes gravity..." Yep, pretty tough decisions will be made.

So did you guys hear that Victorious and iCarly are ending this year? I guess iCarly only has a few more episodes and Victorious has 15 more. And since Dan already said that Beck and Jade were supposed to get back together, I guess that's gonna be the end of any hope for us Bori fans. That really sucks...I mean, I liked iCarly, and that show actually ran for quite awhile, but I absolutely LOVE Victorious. I can't even begin to say how deeply sad I am about the show ending so abruptly.

Oh yeah, and I'm sorry for those of you that wanted a detailed sex scene. is just making so many changes that it kinda scared me to do so. I don't wanna lose this story and all your reviews.


	20. Unanswered Questions

_Warning: This chapter contains sexual content. And a bit more than slight this time. You have been warned! Please take note that the rating has gone up to M._

**Final Project**

**XIX.**

It was sometime in the middle of the night, possibly closer to morning right before dawn breaks. Beck laid in his bed, the most beautiful girl lying in his arms. He absently traced his fingers up and down her bare back, loving how smooth her skin felt. Tori was breathing softly, letting him know that she was in a deep sleep…the thing he wished he was doing.

But he couldn't get his mind off of everything that happened that night/morning. He was just beginning to give up on trying to chase after her when she out of the blue pounced on him…literally. Something inside of him wanted answers…What made her change her mind? Did she already break up with Andre? Was she planning to? Did she want to be with him _forever _or just for the rest of this week?

Sadly, he couldn't answer any of those questions on his own. He knew things had gotten a bit tense between the two of them after she said they had to stop their affair, so was she just trying to "fix" things during their last eight days together?

Beck hated that things had to be so complicated between them…which was one reason why he couldn't go through with having sex with her…

He thought back to hours before and wondered how he was able to maintain control of the situation…

Having just found out that she was a virgin, he didn't want to go fast with her. He wanted her to relish and enjoy every single second of her night…of _their _night. Passion had almost gotten the better of him when he had her pinned against the wall…every fiber inside of him wanted to just take her right there…unexpectedly and hard. He truly wanted to just be inside her. He wanted to hold her legs up as his body weight held the rest of her body up as they melted into the wall. He wanted to hear her scream her ecstasy and moan his name…

But of course, that's the kind of thing that happens in movies. The leading male character doesn't suddenly get told that the girl he was having these fantasies about is a virgin. A virgin that tells him that she's _been waiting for her first time to be with him!_

But he still had to wonder…how much of her really wanted r_ight then _to be her first time? This brought him back to all his prior questions that desperately needed answers.

But it was hard to think when this gorgeous girl underneath him was squirming and gasping and moaning. His hands were traveling down her sides, but when his right hand traveled to the inside of her thigh, he already saw that Tori was close to losing it. She gripped tightly onto his arms as his fingers rubbed lightly on the outside of her panties, causing her to buck her hips upward and close her eyes tightly as she bit her bottom lip to prevent from being too loud.

Beck knew he was going to be doing most of the touching and caressing, but he was perfectly okay with that. He wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

And he truly thought…and knew…that both of them were loving the emotions that ignited inside of themselves. When he unbuttoned her top, he loved the taste of her skin when he kissed down her chest to each breast, his hot breath meeting her hot skin as her chest rose and fell heavily with excitement.

Tori tugged at his shirt, helping him pull it over his head so they could have more skin contact. He saw the passion explode in her eyes when her hands journeyed over his bare chest and stomach, and in turn, his passion erupted that caused him to flawlessly reach behind her and unhook her bra. His mouth met her nipples as his fingers found their way inside of her panties to touch her in a place she never let anyone else touch before.

To feel her wiggle beneath him; to feel her fingers tangle in and pull at his hair; to hear her moans that came from deep within her throat; and to hear her gasping breaths when he sensed that she was near what was most likely her very first orgasm…all of this was enough to practically send him reeling with his own, and he was starting to become very uncomfortable in his boxers.

Somehow along the way, Tori managed to undo his belt and jeans, and slide them down as far as she could reach, but Beck had yet to kick them all the way off.

Beck watched her as her head tossed back and her mouth gaped open in a muted yell as time stood still for a moment, before her body involuntarily lurched forward and the most pleasing sound escaped from her lips, and Beck was sure that he'd never loved his name quite so much.

He smiled down at her as her eyes slowly fluttered open when she began to come back down from her flight, and he thought it was the most adorable thing when she blushed and smiled shyly. She brought her hands to the back of his head and lowered his lips to hers to a slow, recovering kiss.

And when she slowly pulled away, their hot lips sticking together for an extra second, Beck couldn't believe himself when he said: "I think that's as far as we should go tonight."

She looked at him in confusion and shock, "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

He laughed softly at her concern, staring deep into her dark eyes, "Tori, you didn't do anything wrong…you're perfect. I just…don't want our first time to be tainted."

She looked even more confused, "Tainted?"

Sighing, he adjusted himself so he wasn't on his knees, but it was probably the worst idea he had. He ended up putting his weight on her again, which caused him to be positioned right where he was trying to avoid. And he could feel her thighs tense with excitement again when she felt him press against her, and he even felt his own eyes roll in the back of his head at the glorious sensation of being so close to being one with her.

Beck breathed in a shaky breath, "If we're gonna be together…we have plenty of time for this. But maybe we should settle a few things first before we…"

And he could see the disappointment in her eyes, and he was pretty much in the same boat at her. He ran his hand over her forehead to push back some of her hair that matted to her sweaty skin, "But don't think it's 'cause I don't love you enough, Tor. I think we should stop because of _how much _I love you. I didn't bring any protection to Japan with me…didn't think I'd need it. And I don't want to ruin your career just because of one night."

Though he still saw some disappointment written on her face, there was also some relief. She laughed softly, "I thought guys were the ones that just went with it and girls were the ones that worried about that stuff."

Beck gave a small smirk, "Yeah, well, some guys are stupid. But I don't want to be stupid with you, Tor. I want this to last and…I don't want you to hate me."

"I could _never _hate you!" She responded very quickly, fear now in her eyes at the fact that he would even think that.

He rolled off of her, not being able to think completely straight when he just kept feeling her heat calling to him, "Good. Then please understand why I think we should stop…"

Propping herself up on her elbow, she looked down at him, her hair cascading over her right shoulder that made her look like some sort of goddess, "I understand, it's just…" Her fingers started to touch his chest and stomach again, trailing down to below his bellybutton. Her eyes met his and he could see the slight uncertainty in them. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper, "Can I touch you?"

Before he could even answer, he felt her fingers brush against him as she enclosed her fingers.

"Oh, God…" The words left his mouth in a moan, his eyes closing shut. Her lips touched the bare skin on his shoulder blade and though he could sense her hesitation and shyness, just _knowing _that it was Tori touching him was almost more than he could stand.

This brought him back to the current moment, where he was holding her in his arms and wishing he was sleeping. Why was he feeling so worried? He couldn't explain it, but the feeling of having her so close beside him yet with the insecurity of not knowing whether he could call her his or not, was completely tormenting him.

_Maybe I should just go with it…maybe I'm overthinking this._

"Beck?" She said his name in a small, tired voice, her eyes barely opening as she lifted her head off his chest to look at him, "You up?"

He ran his hand through her hair before gently pushing her head back down to his shoulder, "Not really. Go back to sleep, Sweetie."

Snuggling into him more, she didn't have to be told twice as her arm wrapped around his chest and she squeezed him close to her. He returned the squeeze, kissing her forehead before closing his eyes and sighing inwardly.

_What I wouldn't give to be able to stay here…_

* * *

><p>The next day, Tori and Beck decided to go to the beach, since they had yet to go to one since they've been there. They were able to get ahold of Shiori to ask her to point them in the right direction, so over the phone, she told the taxi driver to take them to Isshiiki Beach. They were both pretty happy to see that it was a beautiful beach that wasn't too crowded. There were a couple guys there that spoke some English, and they were offering different packages for them, such as parasailing, water jetting, and surfing. There weren't a whole lot of waves that day, so Beck and Tori decided to try parasailing.<p>

Floating high above the water together was an amazing experience and it allowed their minds to escape with their bodies for awhile. Friday stayed nice all day, so they ended up staying at the beach all day. When the sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky, Beck suggested they start thinking about heading back.

"How about we just stay at the beach hotel tonight?" Tori asked, pointing to the one-story hotel that looked more like a big beach house, "You know, just to get away."

Beck smirked at her, "We're all the way in Japan and you're looking for a place to get away?"

She laughed and hit his arm playfully, "You know what I mean. Different surroundings…no laptops…"

"Let's do it," Beck agreed suddenly, not even wanting to go into _that _conversation. When he walked over to Tori's room earlier that morning, he couldn't help but notice that her laptop was turned off. He didn't want to ask her about it, but it made him think about his own laptop. He left it unplugged for a few days, and was pretty sure that whoever called the night before made his computer use the last of its energy before it died. And he just didn't care.

They checked into the hotel, but then went right back out to the beach to watch the sunset over the water. And it was just so damn perfect that they both wondered if the moment was even real.

But they both knew…that the main reason it was perfect was because it was only the two of them. Literally. They were both too scared to bring up anyone else's name in fear that it would strike an undesirable conversation. Beck was too afraid to ask Tori what she planned on doing in the long run and Tori was too afraid to say that she had no idea what she was doing.

So yes. Perfect except for the fear of the unknown.

There was a small hut between the beach and the hotel that sold drinks and a little bit of food, so they sat out by the tiki torches for awhile, discussing how they were probably going to end up at Club Dragon again the next night.

Once they got inside the hotel room, Beck gave Tori his shirt to wear to bed since it would be a lot more comfortable than her tighter shirt. And then there they were: Beck was sitting on the bed against the wall as Tori sat cross-legged in the middle of bed, wearing only her panties and his shirt, flipping through channels with no real intent on finding anything.

He looked at her from the back-side angle, the glow from the TV illuminating and shadowing all the right parts of her.

"We should probably start thinking about what we're gonna do for our performance when we get back to Hollywood Arts," Beck said randomly.

Tori continued to channel surf, "We can do that. But you wanna do it tomorrow? I'm too tired to talk about school."

"Sure," he agreed, not really wanting to discuss it right then anyway, but was mostly using it as a conversation starter, "Isn't it weird that we only have a week left of high school once we get back?"

"Heh…yeah, it's gonna be weird not seeing all the weirdness in those halls anymore…"

And though it was a bit more premature than he had intended, Beck couldn't help but ask: "So do you plan on breaking up wi—."

"Don't," Tori cut him off gently, her head turning slightly to the side. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and though she wasn't looking at him, more like at the bed, he could see that she was not at all prepared to talk about this.

He sighed and leaned his head against the wall. He didn't want to push her, just because he didn't want them to end up in an argument. He did have to remind himself that Tori was most definitely not Jade and probably wouldn't snap at him, but just the idea of getting Tori upset really put a damper on things.

When she heard him sigh, she sighed also. She dropped the remote and turned to face him, her legs still crossed, "I'm sorry, Beck, I just…want to stay like _this _for a little longer."

He stared deep into her eyes for a moment, "I'm really not sure what that means, Tor."

Sighing again, she pushed herself onto her knees and crawled toward him, her one leg going in between his as her other leg stayed on the outside, "It's like you said before…let's just stay _here."_

She raised her butt off her legs so she was standing tall on her knees, looking down at him as she leaned forward, her hair cascading down on either side of her face. It acted as a shield to guard them from the outside world, and when she leaned down to kiss him, Beck entered that state of mind where he was perfectly happy to be in that bubble, as long as Tori was there with him.

* * *

><p><em>"There ain't no reason you and me should be alone Tonight, yeah baby! Tonight, yeah baby! I got a reason you're who should take me home tonight…"<em>

It was the next night, Saturday, and they agreed to go with Shiori back to Club Dragon. And just like the week before, the club was packed and crazy, and Shiori sang a lot of the songs until she called Tori up on stage again.

_"I need a man who thinks it's right when it's so wrong Tonight, yeah baby! Tonight, yeah baby! Right on the limits where we know we both belong tonight…"_

Of course, Beck had to give her that slight push to go up on stage again, but Tori never regretted it once she was up there. She was wearing skin tight jeans and high heeled boots like she did the week before, but this time, her shirt was a sparkling blue that only had one sleeve while her other shoulder remained bare.

_"It's hard to feel the rush…to push the dan-ger-ous! I'm gonna run right to…to the edge with you, where we can both fall over in love!"_

Beck was again right next to the stage as Tori performed, his hair dripping sweat from all the heavy dancing they had done throughout the night. But the way he looked when he was flushed pushed her over the edge to sing with an even greater powerfulness as she allowed the lyrics to be her exact words to Beck.

_"I'm on the edge…of glory! And I'm hangin' on a moment of truth. Out on the edge…of glory! And I'm hanging on a moment with you…"_

The two of them were definitely hanging in a moment, just like Beck first proposed way back when they first tried to decide how they were going to handle their situation. She thought it like it was _so _far back…but it was only…what? A week ago? A whole week with Beck and it already felt like an eternity. Or maybe it only felt like a few seconds. Her whole concept of time went out the window after her and Beck kissed the night of the festival, and her whole world was starting to seem surreal. Like a dream; a dream she didn't want to wake up from.

_"Another shot before we kiss the other side Tonight, yeah baby! Tonight, yeah baby! I'm on the edge of something final we call life tonight…"_

And when she got done singing and jumped off stage into Beck's arms, she loved how they could just kiss and not have to worry about anything or anyone.

"Tori Vega!" she heard Shiori yell into the microphone to again let everyone know her name, and she became lost in the moment of the crowd screaming all around her, but her heart and mind were only on the boy she was kissing.

Due to this, she didn't even consider that Shiori was practically famous now that she made that album. So of course, amongst the crowd were a bunch of paparazzi folk. And what do they do best? Take pictures, of course. And since Tori Vega seemed like a close friend of Shiori Takahashi, and even did a duet with her on her album, the paparazzi did not look over the talented American girl and her _kawaii _boyfriend.

The lights were already so crazy in the large dance room that telling a flashing camera from the strobe lights was nearly impossible.

But seriously…who did they know that would check out Japanese headlines anyway?

()()()()()()()()()()

Hola! So were you expecting this chapter or what? I changed the rating on this story...bumped it up to M JUST in case. I mean, the scene was THAT intense, but ya know. Can't be too safe, I suppose. Oh, and I'm truly sorry for those of you that really did want them to "go all the way." Some people have just been pointing out to me that maybe it wasn't the right time, and after thinking it over for a few days, I kinda agree. Plus, why WOULD Beck bring condoms to Japan? It's not like him hooking up with Tori was pre-meditated. So...no safe sex=no sex at all. Stay safe, kiddies.

Also, I had a pretty hard time writing this chapter for some reason. I think I'm really trying to push their final week together with them doing stuff and having fun and all that, because I want a few more fluffy chapters before they head back to CA and the real drama starts. So like I said before, if you guys have any ideas, please don't hesitate to throw them out there. I used a couple readers' suggestions in this chapter, so...hope you guys are happy!


	21. Tell Me That You Love Me

**Final Project**

**XX.**

The next few days flew by as different events arose out of nowhere. On Sunday, Shiori took them to see sumo wrestling, because "you can't come to Japan and not see one!" as Shiori so enthusiastically put it. Though Beck and Tori were a bit perturbed at seeing the huge, almost naked men at first, they soon found themselves cheering for the surprisingly agile men of their choice. Later that night, Shiori took them on a bullet train to Akihabara, which turned out to be a huge city that housed all the latest and greatest technology. They wouldn't get to look around at the stores until morning, however, since they didn't arrive in Akihabara until close to ten at night.

Shiori said she had a few relatives that lived there that would let them spend the night, but before they checked in, she wanted to take them to one of the best karaoke joints around. They were all amused at seeing a group of guys singing old school Backstreet Boys songs and a group of girls singing Spice Girls songs…with very broken English, or just in Japanese.

Shiori and Tori did a couple duets, and the crowd loved them…not only because they were both so good, but because Shiori only sang in Japanese, so each of their songs brought a bilingual feel to the place. Tori tried to get Beck to sing something with her, but singing wasn't exactly his thing. So she stuck with just dancing with him or sharing an iced chai tea with him.

Shiori's relatives welcomed them into their home, and since Beck's arm was always around Tori, or they were holding hands, everyone assumed they were a couple and gave them a single room to share. Which, of course, was no problem with them.

On Monday, as promised, Shiori took them around the city to see all the awesome technology, most of which the normal person would not be able to afford. Tori did buy a small, orange camera though, because despite its size, the image display on it was out of this world. She made sure to ask Shiori to take a picture of her and Beck so that it could be her first picture on there, and then asked Beck to take one of her and Shiori. She would forever remember her time in Japan.

They spent the whole day there, and even got to eat at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, where sushi just kept rolling around for them to grab whatever they thought looked good. Endless sushi, what's better than that?

Then they took the bullet train back to Tokyo, where Shiori told them to get good rest because they were going to climb Mount Fuji the next day. She said that it wasn't very often that tours to the top were given before July, but because the weather had been pretty good, the tour guides thought it was okay to take people at the end of May.

So when Tuesday came, Shiori brought over warm hiking clothes for the two of them before they set out on their journey. And of course, climbing a mountain is no easy task, but the view as they got closer and closer to the top was enough to push them all the way.

It took them over half the day to reach their destination, but once they were there, they couldn't have been happier that they got to experience this with each other.

"This is where we belong, Beck," Tori said as she stood near the edge with him, looking out into the foggy clouds and down at the mountain tips below, "At the top."

He smiled at her positive words. He put his arm around her and hugged her close to his side, her own arm coming around his waist, "_This _is where we belong," he repeated, though Tori caught the extra meaning behind the statement.

She looked up at him with a serious, yet happy, expression as they met in the middle for a kiss.

"You guys are so cute," Shiori commented as she came up beside them. She let out a long breath of satisfaction as she took in the scenery, "Believe me guys, you're never gonna have another moment quite like this. Even when you're both famous and performing on stage every night…being up here, unrestrained…it's unlike anything else." She smiled at them, "Wherever you guys go in life, don't forget to stop and remember this moment, especially when things get wild and hectic. It'll bring you peace."

Tori and Beck looked at her with wide eyes before Tori slowly nodded, "Wow…that was deep."

Shiori giggled and winked, which seemed so much more like her, "I can be deep when I wanna be." She held out her hand, "Gimmie your camera. I want to take a picture of you guys up here."

Tori gladly handed over her camera, and her and Beck turned around so that they could face Shiori with the mountains in the background. Shiori took one with their arms around each other, and then another when Beck put his finger on Tori's chin and turned her face toward him to kiss her.

_"Kawaii!" _Shiori yelled as she looked at the picture perfect moment. She gave the camera back to Tori, then put her hands on her hips as she smirked at the couple, "You two better remember to invite me to your wedding."

Tori felt her face heat up despite the cold chill that swept across the mountain and opened her mouth to counteract that statement (though she wasn't sure what words she was going to use) but got cut off when she heard Beck plainly say, "Will do."

She looked up at him in shock, wondering what in the world made him say that. But he only smiled and brushed some of her hair behind her ear after it got blown in her face.

Shiori smiled softly at the scene, then stepped forward to hug Tori tightly, telling her lowly in her ear: "I've never seen a guy look at a girl the way Beck looks at you. Hold onto it."

When she let her go and stepped away from her, Tori still looked shocked…why were Beck and Shiori saying all this stuff that…that…made her feel like she was in a movie?! Still, Shiori's words struck her heart. She looked back at Beck and saw him looking out into the distance again, his soft hair blowing back and the wind hitting his face.

"Beck?" she called his name, her breath hitching in her throat when he turned to her…and now that Shiori mentioned it, Tori could definitely see the light in his eyes that only shone when he looked at her. Her heart felt like it was nearly about to explode; there's just never anything quite like that feeling you get when you just _know _the person you're in love with loves you just as much. She grabbed his gloved hand and held it between hers, "I just want you to know that…no matter what happens…I'll always love you."

And as it goes, whenever she accidentally says a phrase that also happens to be the title of a song, that song starts playing in her head…

_Bittersweet memories…that is all…I'm taking with me…So goodbye…please, don't cry, We both know I'm not what…you need…_

Too bad that song happened to be the saddest, most depressing song out there, despite its title.

Beck stared at her for a long moment. He wanted to question what she was trying to get at, but something told him he already knew. He took in a deep breath, inhaling all the cool air that made his heart feel chilled, "You know...when we first met, I had no idea you'd be so important to me. If I would've known that…I might have tried to stop it. I guess that's why we're not supposed to know what the future holds."

Tori blinked away the cold air that kept smacking her eyes; the mix between the cool air and the warm tears that had a possibility of forming was making it hard to keep her eyes open.

"I've been wanting to tell you how I felt for a long time now. And I tried to during the music awards…but nothing ever goes as planned, right?" He gave a half smirk to humor the irony, "But you know what you taught me, Tor?" Beck glanced at her and saw her slowly shake her head, "You taught me to always tell someone how you feel, because opportunities are lost in the blink of an eye, but regrets last forever."

Tori closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his arm and sighed deeply, "I don't know how I'm gonna tell him…"

"But you're going to?" Beck asked. And though it was a simple question, Tori heard the hope in his voice.

But she didn't answer. And he didn't pry any further. But they were only given a couple more minutes to enjoy their feeling of being up so high that no one on Earth could bother them. The tour guides announced that they had to get ready for their hike back down.

Though they say that going down takes less resistance, Beck and Tori would have given anything to continue upward.

* * *

><p><em>Why the hell is her computer still off?<em>

Over in Argentina, a very frustrated Andre looked at the same message he'd been getting for the last six days:

**[User] Tori Vega not connected to internet.**

He knew that if she had her computer on, it would be automatically connected to whatever internet access she had in the hotel. So the fact that she was completely unavailable told him that she didn't have her computer on. At first, he thought that maybe her computer just died and she forgot to plug it in…but _it's been six damn days! Almost a whole week!_

What teenager goes that long without the internet? Okay, so she was in a foreign country with lots of cool things to do and see…but seriously? He knew she knew he was waiting to talk to her! So unless her computer got stolen or got a virus, or Japan lost all power, he could think of no reason why her computer _needed _to be off.

Andre talked to Cat and asked her if she had talked to Tori (or Beck for that matter…his computer had been strangely turned off for the same amount of time), but the red-head said no. He thought about asking Jade, but didn't want millions of accusations about what was _secretly _going on in Japan to get thrown in his face.

But he remembered that one of the last few times he talked to Tori that her friend, Shiori, said she got a record deal and Tori was doing a duet with her. And if she happened to already release a song, _any song, _then maybe he would be able to look them up. Maybe Tori was on a small tour with Shiori. Could that even be possible?

Andre really didn't care about what was possible right then. He just needed some sort of answer to fill the void until he got all the facts.

He didn't even know Shiori's last name though. How many Shiori's could there be in Japan? He typed in everything in the search engine that he thought could lead to something:

_New singer Shiori…pop star Shiori…Shiori star in Tokyo…_

After awhile, it felt strange to him that he was only typing in Shiori's name. But she was the only person over there that Tori knew…or that he thought she knew. Therefore, she was the only way he could find out about Tori…if there was any way to begin with.

But finally, he found himself typing in _Shiori and Tori Vega _and was surprised when an actual link came up saying: _"Shiori Takahashi and American, Tori Vega, Release Duet and Perform at Club Dragon!" _

_That _was the name of the club Tori told him about! Not that he thought it mattered for his current search…seriously, what would her singing at a club have to do with her "disappearance"?

When he clicked on the link, it led him to an all Japanese page, but he made a few adjustments so that he could get it translated. The translation was weak and the syntax was all off, but the headline was mostly just talking about Shiori and Tori singing a bilingual duet together on an upcoming CD release, and how Shiori is a regular singer at Club Dragon and that Tori was in Japan for a school project, blah blah blah…

So the story gave him nothing, but it was the small picture in the middle of the page that really made him squint and get as close to his screen as humanly possible. He saw a Japanese girl up on stage holding a mic, and he assumed it was Shiori, but there were two people at the bottom of the stage that looked familiar…

The picture was so small and even when he tried to copy and paste it onto a document, making it bigger only caused the picture to become blurry. There was a huge crowd of people surrounding the two he was trying to get a better look at, and it looked like many of them were staring at the two while they were applauding. So if they weren't looking up at Shiori and clapping, then it was because someone else just performed…

Andre's heart started to pound in his chest and throat and temples. He felt a wave of extremely hot blood pass through his system and for a moment, he honestly thought that he was about to have a panic attack.

_Are those two people kissing? Either that, or they're extremely close and it just looks like…_

Without thinking, he minimized the window and went to his video chat section. Though it was hardly a rational decision, he was calling Jade up. If there was anyone else that might have possibly heard from either of the two in Japan, it was her.

It only took her a few seconds to come up on the screen, her menacing glare making him wish he never even bothered.

_"Asshole!" _She yelled in his face, her eyes narrowed, "I thought you were Beck and made me come running in here like a stampede of antelopes getting chased by a lion!"

Hearing her say all this in one breath, he raised an eyebrow, "Wow, great analogy." But then his brain registered what she really said, "Wait, you thought I was Beck? That means you haven't talked to him?"

Jade crossed her arms, "Oh, you think that's bad? _I know _you haven't talked to Vega either. Her computer's been off all week, too."

Andre's shoulders slumped when it became clear right from the start that he was going to get no answers from her, "You're right. I was just wondering if—."

"If Beck and _it _are going behind our backs?" Jade nearly growled out her question, "You better start doing more than wondering."

Folding in his lips, he began to contemplate if he should show her the picture he found. But what if it wasn't what he thought it was? What if it just looked like what he wanted…or rather _didn't _want…to find. Either way, informing Jade of the picture would only fuel her wrath at everyone, himself included, and with everything else that was going on in his head, he didn't need her to bring him down any further.

"Okay, well I was just wondering if you heard from Beck. I'll let you go now," he was just about to close the chat when she stopped him.

"Wait!" She said it so loud and suddenly it actually made Andre jump away from his computer a little. Jade scratched her head and sighed with annoyance, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling more than a little worried about this whole thing. Don't tell me you don't sense something's up…"

Andre's shoulders slumped. He couldn't avoid her now, because she actually sounded and _looked _worried. Not angry, not completely outraged, just…like a girl that thought she'd never hold her boyfriend again.

"You're right," Andre finally admitted, "I am getting a bad feeling. I really don't know why they're avoiding us."

Jade shot him an incredulous look, "Are you serious? They're avoiding _us _because they're too busy with each other!" She placed her elbows on the table and hid her face in her hands. For a moment, Andre actually thought that Jade was maybe about to cry, but when she uncovered her face, she just looked annoyed, "It's like a nightmare come true…and not the good kind of nightmare either."

Andre wasn't sure if there was a good kind of nightmare, but placed the statement in the "Normal Jade" category. He shook his hand back and forth to nonverbally tell her to chill out, "Look, I know what all this looks like…and I feel you on this whole nightmare thing, but maybe we should wait and ask _them _what's going on."

Jade laughed mirthlessly, "Oh yeah, _wait! _Wait until when? If they haven't contacted us this whole week, what makes you think they're going to this next week?"

Andre continued to try to keep her calm, "Well, if they don't, they won't have anywhere to hide once we all get back to California."

"Damn right they won't! They'll be getting an ass pounding and a half when I get my hands on them…Vega especially!"

Andre sighed, "Tori's not the only one in this you know."

Jade rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but the difference is, I actually like Beck."

Though so much in him was telling him that Tori was cheating on him, Jade's words were still making him angry, "I really don't know how you can say that, Jade. _Tori _is the one that rejected Beck before the music awards."

Jade looked up to the ceiling like she was fed up with his childish fantasies, "Yeah but it's an easy decision to regret."

Andre thought back to the time two years ago, and how utterly destroyed Tori was when she found out Beck and Jade got back together only a week after the Platinum Music Awards….

_She threw her arms up in defeat, "I just think…you know, that we should try each other out! I mean, why not, right? We get along perfectly, we tell each other everything, we make beautiful music together…you're comfortable to be around."_

_Andre blinked a few times. He couldn't deny that she made some good points, but the thought of even dating Tori surprisingly never crossed his mind. And that's saying something, considering he even fantasized about dating Jade before. And as far as he could tell, it never crossed Tori's mind to date him, either…it was the most spur of the moment thing he's ever witnessed._

_"Say something, please!" Tori exclaimed suddenly, breaking him of his racing thoughts._

_"Um…whoa?" Was all he could offer._

_Tori slumped forward to slight defeat, "C'mon Andre, why not? Look, I know you still have some feelings left for Jade that never really went away, and I have some feelings for Beck that need to go away. We're not mean, so we're not going to try to break them up again. Let's help each other."_

Tori was so desperate to get over Beck as fast as she could that she just grabbed at a relationship opportunity. And she was wrong…he didn't have feelings left for Jade, those died almost as quick as they started. If his feelings were still there, he would have tried to get closer to Jade after her and Beck's breakup. But he didn't. Because it didn't matter to him…being with Jade.

But the hurt and sorrow in Tori's eyes and voice made him feel terrible for her. He knew that she regretted turning Beck down, and he had to wonder…was she making up for that regret?

If this whole final project thing happened a few months after him and Tori hooked up, he probably wouldn't have cared what she did with Beck in Japan. Deep, romantic feelings were not ingrained yet. But he could remember the exact night that his love for her came to fruition…

_They had just gotten home from school when they saw a ping pong table sitting in the middle of the floor between the couch and the TV. Because they have come to expect the most random things in the Vega house (such as the dummy that got kicked in the groin by Trina), the table was not a huge shocker. _

_Tori challenged him to a quick game, but Andre remembered how she had beaten everyone when she wanted to try out for their ping pong "team". Although he didn't think he stood a chance at the Ping Pong Queen, he decided to have a bit of fun and play her anyway. _

_Of course, she beat him time after time after time. Finally, he had enough of losing and flopped the racket on the table and lifted his hands in defeat, "Okay, I'm done. I don't want to play you anymore."_

_"Aww, come on, Andre! One more time?" She pleaded, holding the paddle close to her chest._

_"Uh-uh," he sat down on the couch, "Losing ten times in a row hurts my ego."_

_Tori puffed out her lower lip in feigned sadness, "Pleeeeaaase?"_

_He sighed, "Why?"_

_She smiled brightly and did a small, happy jump in the air when she thought she might get to him, "Because you love me." Though it was a simple statement, something that even friends say to each other, it seemed to click something in her brain. _

_Andre watched as her expression went from pleading, to thoughtful, to sly. He raised an eyebrow, "What?"_

_He watched her as she turned the ping pong paddle upside down to pretend it was a microphone, singing into it as she slowly walked toward him; "The situations turn around…enough to figure out…that someone else has let you down! So many times I don't know why…"_

_Andre smiled as he recalled the song they performed at the restaurant so they wouldn't have to pay for their overly expensive meal (no thanks to Robbie). He watched her walk behind the couch, but when she stopped behind him and rested her arm over his chest, his skin tightened and his smile widened as she sang next to his face:_

_"So tell me that you love me…yeah! And tell me that I take your breath away! And maybe if you take one more, than I would know for sure! There's nothing left to say—tell me that you love me…anyway."_

_He grabbed ahold of her hand and held onto it as she walked around the other side of the couch, continuing to do her rendition of the song that previously meant hardly anything to him._

_"Show me, look what we found…turn it around everyday. I can hear what you sa-ay! Now I know why, know we can…make it!"_

_She did a couple overly dramatic moves against the ping pong table just to get a laugh out of him, but it was when she came back over to him and sat beside him in the couch, looking into his eyes as she sang the last part: "Tell me that you love me…anyway…" that that _thing _inside him snapped…the same thing that made him fall for Jade before._

_"I think I'm in love with you."_

_Tori seemed surprised for a brief moment, but then smiled gently, "Love you, too."_

"Andre!"

Andre snapped out of his memories when he heard Jade screaming his name. When she saw his eyes come back into focus, she knew she had his attention again, "I'm trying to ask you what you're going to say to her if she ends up calling."

Blinking a few times, Andre saw that she was impatiently waiting for a response. And the only answer he could give was: "I'll say 'tell me that you love me'."

()()()()()()()()()()()

I have a few things to say...

First, I feel very proud of myself. This story has made it to 21 chapters...never before have I been able to get this far. I have another story that's 20 chapters, but it took my 2 years to get there. And I needed to end it. I've been writing on this site for** 12 1/2 years** now, and I never had such strong inspiration for a story as I have for this one, and it feels awesome. And I have you guys to thank. Your reviews keep me highly motivated, and just seeing that over 200 people read this story is truly amazing to me. So thank you all!

Second, some of you have been asking for some Jandre. Though I have nothing against this couple (though I'd have to say I'm more of a **Candre** fan), there are reasons that I cannot put Jade and Andre together in this story. This is the main reason: Andre is starting to realize more and more that he was just the rebound man for Tori to get over Beck. If he were to hook up with Jade now, she would be using him for the same reason. I doubt he's gonna wanna go through that again. Know what I'm sayin'?

Third, for BigStuOU: you mentioned a scene in Karate Kid 2. I have never seen it, but I looked up the tea ceremony scene on Youtube. I'm not really sure if the tea ceremony is actually supposed to be a "love announcement" type thing, but the scene was very awesome. They did a good job on it. I'll try to get Beck and Tori into a scene like that before they leave Japan.

Fourth, I'm sure some of you are wondering why Tori is fighting so hard with her feelings when she obviously loves Beck more. But if any of you have ever been in situations like this, you know how tricky they can be. It's not like she can just say, "I love Beck! Sorry Andre, but you're outta the picture." Not only can she not simply say this because he's her best friend, but this stuff is NEVER that simple. Ever wonder why people in relationships ask for advice when the answer seems so obvious to an outsider? Because to that person, obvious isn't always obvious.

Fifth...I'm done! Review now! ;)


	22. Falling Even More In Love

_Warning: Chapter contains sexual content. And it's a bit explicit. You have been warned!_**  
><strong>

**Final Project**

**XXI.**

They held each other in their arms as they kissed, lips moving against lips in a gentle, slow motion. The sound of their wet lips meeting cut through the darkness. The bed creaked slightly every now and then when either one of them made a move to get closer.

They didn't make it back to the hotel after completing their mountain climb until well after midnight. They were exhausted, but once they laid down next to each other, what was supposed to be a simple kiss goodnight turned into something that neither one of them wanted to stop.

Lying side by side, their hands caressed each other's faces, bringing themselves forward in an attempt to deepen the kiss with each passing moment. Their tongues met. Soft, satisfied sighs emitted from their mouths. The bed springs squealed a bit louder when Beck raised his upper body off the bed, his lips still attached to Tori's, as he leaned over her, feeling her hands rake through his soft hair.

When their lips parted, he trailed kisses down to her chin, then down to the base of her neck when she tilted her head back to give him better access. From there, he only planted a small kiss here and there, his warm breath shadowing over her skin as he made his way to the side of her neck, sliding up to her jawline, letting out a deep sigh in her ear.

"Oohhh…" Tori moaned, knowing that Beck loved to torture her ever since he found out that her ears were one of her most sensitive areas. Her body tensed and she tightened her grip in his hair, causing him to moan as he exhaled.

"What do you want me to do?" His voice was low in her ear, the question almost nothing but muttering as he moved once again to hover over her.

Their legs became intertwined, but when he pushed his body up to reenact penetration, Tori let out a loud, surprised moan.

"Tori…" he murmured her name, his lips only lingering above hers.

She swallowed roughly and only shook her head slightly, her half lidded eyes focusing on his, "I don't care…anything…everything," she chuckled shortly, her own voice hardly recognizable to herself.

Beck mimicked her chuckle, kissing her again, his right hand sliding down her side to her thigh before pressing on it so he could lift her leg up. She rested it on the small of his back, gasping when he again moved his body upward. She had on her pajamas that she bought it Japan, and Beck was wearing his boxers, but she could still feel his arousal through their layers of clothing.

"Beck…" she whispered his name, raising her hips to his as she ran her hands down his back, seizing the bottom of his shirt, then running her hands up his bare back. His skin was hot but the space between them got even more heated when his body gave an involuntary thrust against her.

Using her leg that was around him to obtain momentum, she was able to push herself off her back and roll them so that she landed on top. Her legs were on either side of him and she sat up on his hips, looking down at the flustered man beneath her.

She was surprised when he sat up as well, his hands gliding up her back as he did so, raising her shirt. Seeing what he was aiming for, her hands grabbed ahold of her shirt at the shoulders to begin peeling the garment off. Before she could even get it all the way off, his lips found her breasts, his left hand helping him as his right stayed on her hip.

Sighing contentedly, she let her head fall back, her long hair sweeping against her lower back. Tori allowed her hands to get tangled in his hair again as she gently yet persistently held his head in place so that he could work his magic on her.

When she raised her head back up, her hair fell around her shoulders. She grabbed both sides of his face and made him look up at her, both of their faces flushed with desire.

"Damn, you're gorgeous…" Beck whispered loudly, his eyes glazed over as she rested their foreheads together.

She rocked her hips up and forward, the action slow and tormenting, and when her hips glided back and down, Beck's fingers dug into her hips as a sensual groan emitted from his throat. Loving the reaction she got out of him, Tori did the motions again, her lips parted in a silent moan when she felt his hands guide her along.

Feeling him pressed against her in just the right area was making it extremely hard for either of them to think. It got to the point where they didn't even remember getting to the position they were in…it just seemed to happen.

"Oh God, Tori…" Beck moaned, louder than his previous ones, his eyes closing hard, the heat making it even harder to think straight. His whole body throbbed with the need to take her, his hormones quickly taking over morals. He couldn't take her seductive flows anymore and quickly flipped them over again, her legs still wrapped around his waist.

Tori licked her lips before bringing his face down to kiss him, her tongue sliding over his bottom lip. He thrust hard against her, their lips parting as they both gasped unexpectedly.

"Beck, please…" Tori groaned, her hips rising and falling against her will as her body began aching for his in a way she never thought possible.

_"Shit…!"_ Beck grumbled with frustration, stuck between wanting to succumb to desire and needing to stop it.

Tori was trying to come down off her high. But seeing what she was doing to Beck really sent her on a trip she was not ready to return from. But she also knew it was wrong…to torture him (and herself for that matter) when they already agreed that sex between them needed to wait. They were not officially each other's, and to claim each other's bodies before claiming a simple title was not exactly the way they wanted to handle it.

Tori was shrouding a secret though…that being that she was jealous of Jade. She knew that she and Beck slept together before, and the thought of him being with someone else really made her want to give herself to him…to make herself his last and only from then on. She hated that she felt that way, but she was starting to see why Jade got jealous so much and always acted like she wanted Beck all to herself.

Of course, it was more than her jealously that made her want him. He was everything to her, and as she tried to bring her brain back down to Earth, she was beginning to see what she was doing to him. And though she knew she would agree with him in a heartbeat if he all of a sudden decided that he wanted to go through with it, she also knew that that decision didn't have to be made tonight.

Not wanting him to hurt, however, she reached in between them and wrapped her hand around him, much like how she did a few nights back.

"I love you," Tori said against his lips, moaning with him when he jerked against her hand.

He rolled off of her to allow a small gap between them so she wouldn't have to strain her wrist. He grabbed the back of her head with one hand and brought her lips to his as his other hand twisted its way into her pajama pants.

His duplicated response came out very jumbled in her mouth as they both began to pleasure each other.

_So amazingly perfect…_

* * *

><p>When Beck woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was that Tori was not beside him. He wouldn't have thought too much of it if he woke up in his own room, but the fact that they fell asleep in her room made him wonder where she could have went.<p>

He swung the covers off then placed his feet on the soft carpet, his palms digging into his eyes in an attempt to wake up faster. He walked over to the bathroom and peered in to see if she happened to be in there, but the light was off and it was empty. He then stepped down into the living room but didn't see her at the table or on the couch.

Beck went back up to the bedroom, opening the blinds to get a view of Tokyo, his eyes squinting at the blinding sunlight shining through. He was just thinking about texting her when he heard the door click open.

Turning around, he watched as Tori slowly came into the room holding a huge tray full of food and two mugs with steam rising out of them. As soon as she was fully in and didn't have to worry about the door knocking the tray over, Tori looked up to see Beck standing at the window…with only his boxers on.

_Damn, I can get used to this scene in the mornings…_

"Heeey," she said instead, holding the tray up a bit higher, "I figured I'd bring breakfast to us this morning. Though…I was hoping you'd still be asleep when I came back in. You know…breakfast in bed."

Smirking, Beck walked over to the bed and sat down, "I can still make that happen. But shouldn't _I _be the one to bring breakfast to y_ou?" _He picked up the one mug and took a short sip of the hot liquid.

"Didn't know bringing breakfast to bed was gender specific," Tori said, setting the tray gently down on the bed before taking the second mug by the handle.

Beck shook his head, "I meant that _I _should be the one sucking up to _you."_

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Tori responded, though not at all in a questioning manner. She kind of knew what he meant: that _he _was the one waiting for her to make the decision of breaking it off with Andre or not. But she didn't want to discuss that. Not now.

Tori leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss before grabbing a piece of toast, "So what do you wanna do today?"

"I think we should start discussing what kind of performance we're going to put on for Helen," Beck picked up a plate with some eggs and sausage on it, "I don't want to fail senior year because she decided we didn't learn enough in Japan."

"Ugh, true," Tori took a bite of her toast, "Hey, we never saw a play yet. I remember that you mentioned wanting to see one before we came here. Want me to call Shiori and see if she knows of any?"

"Sure," Beck nodded as Tori pulled out her phone. Once she got her on the line, she asked her if she knew of a place nearby that was putting on a play that night or in the next few nights. Shiori said that the only one she knew of was the play her college was performing, but threw in that the actors were still topnotch. Beck and Tori agreed that it sounded good, so Shiori told them to meet her over at Shi-chan's around five, so she could take them straight there after she got off work.

"Great. Now we'll be able to see how they put on shows here. That should lead us in the right direction," Tori commented after she got off the phone.

"Did you just wanna head over to Shi-chan's after we get showered and dressed?" Beck asked, finishing up the food on his plate, "We can bring our laptops and upload the pictures we took to make some sort of slideshow background to go with our performance."

Tori faltered for a moment, "You mean…_all _the pictures?"

Beck knew what she was trying to ask, "The ones that really show what Japan's made of," he took a long sip of coffee, "Why? Are you afraid I'm gonna throw some personal pictures into the slideshow?"

Tori shrugged, wanting to dismiss it, "Just wondering." She suddenly stood up quickly, placing her empty mug back on the tray, "Well, I'm gonna take a shower then."

He watched her walk toward the bathroom, "We're gonna have to talk about this sometime soon, ya know."

She stopped in the doorway, turning on the bathroom light. She gave him a small, almost sad smile, "I know." But then she stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Beck sighed before gulping down the rest of his coffee. He sloppily pulled on the rest of his clothes to prepare for the short journey back to his room.

_Why do girls always talk unless it's something they _need _to talk about…?_

* * *

><p>Once Tori and Beck got to Shi-chan's, the first thing they noticed was that the place was packed. They widened their eyes at the huge group of people, having only seen a maximum of ten people in the coffee place at once before.<p>

Shiori noticed them walk in right away though and motioned for them to come over to the counter.

"Are you guys having some sort of special right now or something?" Tori asked.

Smiling, Shiori shook her head, "Nah, ever since I got the record deal, this place has been nonstop busy. I guess you could say I brought them in!" She giggled and winked.

The couple smiled and Beck spoke up: "Wow, that's great. Helping out two careers at once."

"Yeah. It's especially cute when I ask for their signature on their receipt and they say 'only if you give me your autograph!' Then I say, 'well, I need your signature either way, but okay!' And then I enthusiastically sign…whatever they want me to sign."

Tori raised an eyebrow, "You mean it's not always a piece of paper?"

Shiori shivered, "Yeah…you don't wanna know."

Deciding that, in fact, she didn't, she ordered her and Beck's favorite coffees. When she saw Beck about to pull out his wallet, she stopped him and searched for the money in her purse, "I got this!"

Beck stared at her as she counted out the right amount of bills, "All right. What's going on?"

Tori narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about?"

He smiled, "Well first, you bring me breakfast in bed, and now you're buying me coffee. What's up?"

"Just trying to be nice," she stated matter-of-factly, handing Shiori the money then watching her walk over to the coffee machines. When she saw the curious look continue to linger in his eyes, she folded in her lips and felt her cheeks redden, "And…you know…to thank you for making last night so…special."

"Ah…there it is," Beck smirked when he got her to admit it. He put his arm around her and kissed the side of her head, "But you should probably get used to that. I doubt you wanna buy me coffee every time I st—."

_"Shhhh," _Tori hushed him suddenly, her face turning even redder when she realized what he was about to say out loud. In public.

Beck laughed. It's not like anyone would have really understood them anyway, "I'm just saying…you'll be broke by the end of the month."

Smiling shyly, she looked up at him with a brilliant sparkle in her eyes. He loved seeing her look at him like that. It made him feel like everything was…right. He had just pressed his lips to her forehead when a small, petite girl came up to the two of them.

She bowed and looked slightly apologetic, "Gomen, eh…Tori…Vega?" The girl's accent was thick as she tried to say Tori's name plainly.

Tori smiled brightly at the girl and nodded, "That's me."

The girl pointed to the front of the coffee shop where the stool, microphone, and guitar sat. Then she tried to say an English word, and it took Tori a few seconds to realize she was saying "sing."

Tori looked from the stool to the girl, looking a bit unsure, "Oh, I dunno, I just came here to get some homework done and…" she saw that the girl had no idea what she was saying.

Shiori giggled from behind the counter, handing their drinks to them, "Looks like I'm not the only celebrity around here. I would do it if I were you, Tori-chan. Everyone's staring."

Tori looked out into the shop to see every single person looking at her. They must have all been waiting for someone to come up to her and ask her to sing a song. She looked up at Beck to see him smiling and tilting his head toward the stool, "Go give 'em what they want. Your coffee will still be hot when you're done."

She tried to return his smile as she slowly made her way over to the microphone. Very rarely is she put on the spot like this. Granted, the few times she sang at Club Dragon, she didn't know what song Shiori was picking for her, but she always remembered the lyrics once the beat started.

But it was totally up to her to pick a song here. Sure, it was only going to be a small performance in a small coffee shop, but you just never know who's watching.

Reaching the stool, she sat down and placed her bag beside her as she picked up the guitar. In the few years that she dated Andre, he taught her how to play the guitar enough to get by…meaning that she couldn't play it all the well (instruments were never really her thing), but could probably pull off a simple song.

When she had the guitar positioned properly on her lap, she adjusted the microphone and looked out into her personal audience. She glanced over at Beck who had found a table for two, grinning when he gave her a thumbs up sign.

Sucking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes as she tried to focus on a song. She still pictured Beck behind her closed lids, so handsome and supporting…the man she's always dreamed about and how he made her feel like she was in love with a prince and lived in a magic sugar castle (take that, Trina!). As she let out her breath, she heard the wisp of her sigh echo into the microphone.

Gripping onto the pick, she placed it against the strings of the guitar and strummed an old, familiar tune. Keeping her eyes closed, she got her lips closer to the microphone as her words to him came flowing out:

_"Desperate for changing…starving for truth. I'm closer to where I started…chasing after you." _She opened her eyes and looked right at Beck, _"I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held onto…I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you."_

They smiled at each other as she strummed the guitar a bit faster, licking her lips then blinking slowly when she saw that the whole room was totally engrossed by her. She let out a breathy laugh before returning to the microphone, "_Forgetting all I'm lacking…completely incomplete…I'll take your invitation, you take all of me," _She suddenly picked up the beat as she truly got into the song, hearing some people in the crowd yell and whistle, _"Now I'm falling even more in love with you! Letting go of what I held onto…I'm standing here until you make me move, I'm hanging by a moment here with you! I'm living for the only thing I know! I'm running and I'm not quite sure where to go, and I don't know what I'm diving into, just hanging by a moment here with you…"_

It became hard to sing around her ridiculously huge smile, feeling absolutely gorgeous just by the way Beck was looking at her, _"There's nothing else to lose…there's nothing else to fi—ind! There is nothing in this world…that can change my mi—ind! There is nothing else…"_

And she continued on with the song, quite surprised with herself for playing the guitar so well. Granted, the song she chose had a more basic beat, but to even pull that off was truly amazing. When she ended the song, she laughed when all the people stood on their feet to applaud her, including Beck. She set the guitar down and picked up her bag, quickly making her way over to Beck who instantly wrapped his arms around her in a crushing hug.

It took the coffee place a few minutes to actually calm down, but once Tori thought the show was over and she was about to sit down with Beck to drink coffee and do homework, a couple people came up to her table and held out notepads and pens.

She forced a smile to be polite, showing Beck this look. He only chuckled, "Better get used to this, Tor. You're gonna be a big star one day, remember?"

"Yeah…you're right," But as soon as she reached out for the first notebook and pen, everyone in the shop found out that she was giving out autographs and before she knew it, a line was formed.

Beck took a sip of coffee and looked at the length of the line, "Hey, I'll be right back," he said as he stood up, his coffee still in hand.

"Don't go too far!" she pleaded him, scribbling her name and handing the articles back to the owner just in time for the next person to hand her their pen and paper.

"Just going to talk to Shiori real quick," Beck assured her, though he wasn't sure how well she could hear him. He walked over to the counter, seeing Shiori leaning on the counter with a huge smile on her face.

"She's a hit," Shiori said as soon as Beck reached her, "And what a song to dedicate to you," she winked at him.

He couldn't stop the huge smile from forming on his lips, though he tried to hide it by sipping his coffee, "That's kinda what I wanted to ask you about…"

Grinning wider, she propped her elbow up on the counter and held her chin in her palm, "Lookin' to dedicate something to Tori-chan now?"

Beck looked taken aback, "Wow, good guess."

Shiori laughed, "It's not hard to see how much you guys love each other," They both looked over to Tori for a moment to see that people were starting to want pictures with her now. Shiori's eyes glanced over at Beck, "So you wanna ask me something?"

"Oh yeah…what's something I can do for her here? You know…something special…something that probably wouldn't be done anywhere but in Japan."

"Hmm…" Shiori tapped her cheek with her index finger a few times. She looked up to the ceiling as she went into deep thought. Finally, a sly grin came across her face, "I think I got the perfect thing."

()()()()()()()

Hi everyone! First off, I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to reach 400 reviews! Wow, never got into the 400s before. Though I did realize that I lost half of my reviewers last chapter...so either they were just busy the last few days, or I scared them off when I bumped the rating to M. But I suppose I knew those consequences when I made that decision...guess that's how it goes. But a huge thank you to everyone else that continues to review! Though my reviewers have diminished, my followers keep increasing...which greatly confuses me, but I found it's best to just go along with it.

Anyway, did you guys hear about the rumored upcoming episode titled "Tori Saves Beck and Jade"? ...So that figures. That just** F-ING figures!** They couldn't rub it in our faces enough to get Bade back together...but now they're having Tori hook them back up?! DAMN! That's a punch in the groin right there! **I am so angry!**

Ahem...okay, not that I vented, I wanted to clarify something about Lifehouse's "Hanging By A Moment" song that I used. I realize that this is a spiritual song and he's singing to God. Believe me...I know. I listen to all the Christian music, but I figured that I could add a double meaning to the song, because it can also be one of the most romantic songs if you think about it that way. So I hope me throwing in this song as secular music didn't offend anyone; that was not my intent at all.

Also...this "thing" that Shiori is planning for them is probably gonna end up being one of the last chapters with them in Japan. It's already Wednesday, and I think I'm having them leave Sunday morning (I'm not sure if I mentioned this previously or I just had the thought it my head). So yeah...one or two more fluff chapters and then the showdowns begin! Thanks for reading!


	23. Ignoring the Truth

**Final Project**

**XXII.**

"Oh my God, _I win!"_

_Oh man…_

After the crowd cleared and everyone in Shi-chan's got what they wanted from Tori, Beck and her were able to sit down and really begin putting together their slideshow. Beck didn't even consider it, but as soon as he turned on his laptop and got connected to the coffee shop's wifi, his name came up as available for video chat.

And then it all happened so fast. His laptop just got done loading everything, he was about to click an icon, when a box came up and he accidentally hit "accept" instead. And before he knew it, Cat's face was on his screen.

"We all thought you guys died!"

Beck looked up from his laptop, catching eyes with Tori who sat across the table from him. Her eyes were wide and she mouthed very quietly, "Why'd you answer?!"

He could only shrug briefly before Cat made him focus on her: "Beck! Why won't you pay attention to me…?" She twirled a piece of her hair around her finger and pouted out her lower lip, making Beck think of a small child trying to get her parents attention.

Sighing, he replied, "Tori and I have been really busy preparing for our performance, and we're trying to put something together right n—."

"Tori's there, too?!" Cat yelled excitedly, waving her hand eagerly, "Let me see her!"

Beck looked up at Tori again, giving her a look that said "let's just get this over with." Tori rolled her eyes before standing up and moving her chair right next to Beck's so that Cat would be able to see her in the webcam.

"Hey, Cat."

"Tori! You're alive, too!" The red-head was completely ecstatic, laughing her loud, a bit annoying laugh, when she instantly got serious, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Tori's shoulders slumped when she saw the bruised innocence in Cat's eyes, "I haven't. Like Beck said, we've been prepa—."

"_Oooo, _you got some 'splainin' to do, Lucy!" Cat said, using the accent of Ricky Ricardo while shaking her finger at the screen disapprovingly.

Tori and Beck glanced at each other in confusion before Tori smiled uncomfortably, "Umm…what are you talking about?"

Cat giggled, "I was quoting a line from _I Love Lucy. _But don't worry! Your name's not really Lucy."

Tori raised an eyebrow, not even wanting to say anything to egg her on.

But then Cat got serious again, "No, but seriously…Andre's really upset that you haven't talked to him."

Tori felt her face pale and her heart sink into her stomach. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing was coming out. Beck saw that she was too trapped within her own confusion to say anything, so spoke up: "How's Jade been?"

"Oh, Jade's upset, too! But you know…she always is," Cat bounced as she smiled her "airhead smile." She then leaned closer to the screen, "She even put all of us on _Mission Report!" _Cat screamed the last words and put her hands on her hips to give herself a dramatic super hero look.

"Umm…Mission what?" Beck asked.

Cat returned to normal, "Mission Report. She said whoever talks to you guys first needs to report back to her so she could…"handle it"," Cat curved her fingers to denote quotation marks. Her eyes suddenly got wide, "Uh-oh! I forgot to do that!"

When Beck and Tori saw that she was about to see if Jade was around to inform them of her discovery, the two jumped forward and yelled loudly, "_NO!"_

Cat froze, her eyes huge and her mouth hanging open, like she just got caught stealing a cookie.

"But she told me…" Cat's voice became meek.

"Just…just let me handle it, okay?" Beck said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Though he was somewhat relieved it wasn't Jade that caught him on video chat first, dealing with Cat was turning into a nuisance.

Cat started biting at her fingernails, "I dunno…Jade'll hurt me if I—."

"_Just…!" _Beck yelled, a bit more harshly than he intended, but he quickly calmed himself down, "let me handle it…"

Cat sighed noisily, "Fine!" Her attention turned back to Tori to see her looking down at the keyboard. Cat's expression went to that of pity, "Tori, don't worry…Andre's not _mad _upset, he's just…sad upset." She smiled as if _that _was any better.

Tori looked up slowly, not even able to fake a smile. She only kind of heard Beck tell Cat that they had to get back to homework to quickly end the call with her. As soon as Cat's face was no longer on the screen, Beck quickly disconnected from the internet.

He looked over at her to see her elbow resting on the table with her hand in her hair like she wanted to rip it out. She said it a very detached tone: "It was wrong of us to ignore them for so long…"

Not even bothering to respond, Beck got out his camera and hooked it up to his computer to start uploading pictures. He took a large gulp of his coffee, watching as the multitude of pictures flashed on his screen one by one as they became part of a new system.

Tori maintained her position, staring at the screen though her eyes were far from focused, "We probably made everything worse by ignoring them…"

Still, Beck said nothing, continuing to drink his coffee to help bite his tongue.

So Tori continued detachedly, "We should have just said something from the beginning and—."

"That's what _I _suggested, Tori," Beck suddenly spoke up. He was just as upset about everything, but honestly was in no mood to talk about it. _Figures…when I don't want to, that's when she does. _"But y_ou're _the one that insisted we keep it secret because you couldn't bear to break it to Andre."

And he realized after he said it that he shouldn't have said it at all, let alone in the tone he used. He didn't mean to make it sound like he was accusing her of this whole thing being her fault. But…well, if she would have agreed to discuss everything out sooner with him, then maybe they could have reached a better conclusion than where their love story was heading.

Tori's hands dropped to her lap as she stared at him, but he couldn't tell if it was a disapproving look, a sullen look, or an angry look. But when he opened his mouth to begin apologizing, she held up her hand to stop him, "Don't. You're right. It is all my fault."

He sighed, "That's not what I was saying, Tor…"

"Yes, it was," she disagreed, taking only a moment to push her hair behind her ear before standing up abruptly, "But I'm gonna fix it." She went around the table and grabbed her bag before practically jogging out of the coffee shop.

Shiori watched her leave, turning her eyes back to Beck worriedly. She had question marks in her eyes, but all Beck could do was shrug in defeat and look back to his computer to see that all the pictures transferred over. He could only assume that Tori was going back to the hotel to talk to Andre, and to keep himself from going insane, he was going to get started on this damn slideshow.

* * *

><p>Tori couldn't recall having her mind settle on a single thought the whole way back to the hotel. Her mind was either blank or had way too much shit mingled together. Sad when that happens, because next thing you know, you're about to face what you were trying to prepare for, and realize you couldn't have been less prepared.<p>

The loud blooping of her laptop as she called Andre was deafening to her. _What am I gonna say?! "Oh, hey Andre! Long time no talk! So I've been having THEE BEST time with Beck!"_

Yeah…no. But she let it ring for a full two minutes before she ended the call, the loud, annoying sound becoming unbearable. Maybe he wasn't in…she looked at the time on her computer to see that it was 1:32 PM. Which meant it was 1:32 AM his time. Which meant he was asleep.

Sighing, she stood up to maybe head back to Shi-chan's, but froze in place when the blooping restarted and she saw that Andre was calling her back.

She slowly sat back down, closing her eyes as she took in a long breath to try to keep herself calm. With shaky hands, she scrolled the mouse over to click "accept". And in an instant, Tori and Andre were face to face (so to speak).

"Tori!" Andre yelled, and it was quite apparent that he just rolled out of bed although his eyes were wide and alert.

Tori forced a smile to tug up her lips, "Hey, you."

Then he smiled, and it was a relieved sort of gesture, "Oh man, Baby Girl, I'm so glad you're all right. I was really getting worried about you."

"Heh…yeah, well…been busy," was her lame excuse.

"I bet. I saw that you released that duet with Shiori."

She cocked her head to the side, "You did? How?"

"Internet. News travels fast that way," Andre joked as he said it like it was something she was unfamiliar with, "And news usually comes with pictures. There's quite a few pictures of Shiori at Club Dragon last Saturday…"

Tori blinked quickly a few times as she felt her heart rate increase. _There were people taking pictures there…? _She tried to keep her smile, "Yep, she's making quite a name for herself."

She suddenly jumped when the blooping started again as a request box came up on the screen.

**Call from: Jade**

Tori swallowed hard but closed out the request.

"Who was that?" Andre asked.

Folding in her lips, she debated on lying to him, but decided that she did enough of that already, "Jade."

A message then came up on her screen:

**Jade: ****_BITCH!_**

"You know she's been just as worried as I've been…" Andre started, watching Tori type something.

**Tori: I'm talking to Andre right now!**

"It's not like you to just disappear for a whole week without at least letting me know in advance…"

**Jade: Where's Beck!**

"And quite truthfully…I really began thinking something was going on between you and…"

**Tori: Not here.**

"And it's not just because of what Jade was putting into my head. Tor…I saw a picture…and I think it might have been you, but…I'm not really sure…"

**Jade: Go. Get. Him.**

"Tori, do you have something you want to tell me?"

**Tori: No.**

"No." Of course, this was not really the answer she was planning on giving him, but she happened to read her message aloud when she went to respond to Andre. She licked her lips nervously, "I mean…I dunno. A lot has happened and—."

"Hey, Jade just sent me a message telling me to make you go get _her _boyfriend," Andre interrupted.

Tori sighed, "I already told her no. Beck's not even here."

Andre shrugged, "Whatever. Anyway, go on. A lot has happened and…?"

"And…yeah, things happened…" _God, _she sounded so lame.

Andre's eyebrows furrowed as confusion and anxiety flashed in his eyes, "Tori…did anything happen between you and Beck?"

And thus…the moment of truth. Her whole world paused, and so did his. And even though they were on complete opposite sides of the world, they could hear each other's heartbeats in the thick silence. She opened her mouth, only to close it again, really wishing she would have rehearsed this first.

"Please, Tori…" he pleaded, his face coming closer to the screen to give her an even clearer image of all his desolation, "As your best friend…just tell me." And the first thing she noticed was how he pulled the best friend card as opposed to the boyfriend card. Who could lie to their best friend?

But seeing him almost falling apart at just the thought of her and Beck together…she couldn't even imagine how he'd be if she actually affirmed it. She knew how emotional he could get, and wondered how he would be able to handle it over in Argentina all by himself. Who would he have to talk to about it? He's always came to her…when the record guy turned him down, when he thought he was in love with Jade, when he wanted to break it off with Hope…so if _she _was the cause of his distress, what would he do?

Blood rushed to her ears and all she could hear was her pulse. She felt like she was underwater. She couldn't breathe and the only image that crossed her mind was the night she and Beck spent together as she let out: "I know what it may look like, but there's nothing going on."

Andre's forehead dropped to his keyboard as if he just passed out and Tori tried to peer down her screen as if that would help her see him better, "Andre?! You okay?"

"You have no idea…" came his mumbled response before he picked up his head to show his face again. He had a huge smile on his face but his eyes looked red, "how relieved I am to hear you say that, Baby Girl."

Tori felt a strain in her own eyes and knew they were probably turning just as red as his, "You mean you…you believe me?" _Just like that?_

His smile faded a bit, "I shouldn't?"

"No, no! That's not what I meant…" a tear slipped from Tori's right eye before she could stop it, though she swiped at it as fast as she could, "I just thought…" she trailed off.

"Look, Tori, I know how the paparazzi can make stuff look, all right? Remember when we starred in "The Wood"? How they made it look like you and Beck were sneaking around?"

_Oh God, those creep directors predicted the future…!_

"I love you so much, Tori. You have no idea."

And then another tear slipped down…followed by another…and then before she knew it, tears streaked her face like rain on a window.

"Aw, Baby Girl…don't cry, you'll make me cry," he chuckled shortly, but she could tell he was hardly joking.

She knew he thought she was crying because he trusted her so much. And she was indeed crying for that reason. But mainly because he had no reason to trust her so much. Yet she knew…deep down, she truly knew…that Andre knew she was lying to him. It was beyond obvious, and if it wasn't for her being involved in this predicament, she would have shook him and told him to open his eyes…that the girl he was so in love with was not as innocent and sweet as he thought.

But man, was love blinding. When hearts were on the line, it always feels so much better to ignore the truth if it kept you from falling apart.

And that's what Tori was doing. She was ignoring the truth to keep from falling apart.

And that's what Andre was doing. He was ignoring the truth to keep from falling apart.

And after that…what else is there to do?

"I can't wait to see you in a few days. I miss holding you…" Andre said, serious as could be, a gleam shining in his eyes, "We need to get back to where we belong."

It took all her strength just to try to pull her lips up into a smile, but in the end, she only frowned deeper. She opened her mouth to respond, but only a small crack emitted.

"I might have a special surprise for you when we get back," he smirked, nodding his head, "Bet you're excited now, huh?"

Again she tried to force her lips up but it just wasn't happening. A loud sob escaped from her mouth and she quickly covered it with her hand. She felt her whole face tense up before a cloud of tears blurred her vision.

Andre suddenly looked extremely concerned, "Baby Girl, what is it…?"

She shook her head as the tears dripped down her cheeks, falling off her chin, or sliding down her neck, or finding their way onto her lips, the salty taste making her cringe. The only thing she could manage to get out was, "Let me call you later."

"Tori, no, wait!" But she already closed the chat before he could say anymore.

_"Damn it!" _Andre screamed as he stood up and smacked his chair away from him, not even taking notice as his toppled across the room. He raked his hands into his dreadlocks, pacing back and forth in front of his computer. When he saw that she wasn't calling back, he picked up the next closest thing to him, his notebook full of songs, and threw it across the room. All the loose papers from multiple revisions or when he wrote songs on something else came flying out.

He took a few deep breaths in and out, the dark side of his mind telling him to let out his frustration more by ripping up all those pages and throwing more things. But his artistic side was telling him to go pick up the notebook and write out that frustration. He chose the latter.

* * *

><p>Beck was still sitting in the coffee shop when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.<p>

**Tori: Nothing.**

He stared at the text in confusion, wondering if she sent something before that to explain the one word. Or maybe she meant the text to be for someone else. But the only other person in her phone was Shiori. He looked up to see Shiori behind the counter, busy making coffees for a huge group of people that just walked in. It didn't even look like she had time to check her phone.

**Beck: Nothing what?**

**Tori: Nothing. That's what I deserve.**

His heart skipped a beat upon seeing this, and he quickly stood up to begin putting all of his stuff away. He texted her back as he was on his way out the door.

**Beck: I'll be there in 5 minutes.**

()()()()()()()()

Wow, my reviewers came back! And with power! You made me wanna write this chapter tonight/this morning for you guys! Sorry there was no fluff in this one...though many of you have been begging for the drama to begin. Here we go!

Hey, did anyone else see the Youtube video titled "Victoria Loves Avan to Death." It's based off of the interview she gives on the Season 2 disk set when she talks about her best friend, Avan. Well, this video actually made some happy tears come to my eyes. It's so adorable how awesome they are together. And I think Avan sings a but in the video too, but I'm not positive it's him or not. Anyway, go check it out and tell me if you like it, too! I'm sure you will! =)


	24. It's Over

**Final Project**

**XXIII.**

"I can't do it. I just…can't tell him."

"Well how you gonna do it then? By _showing _him?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I don't know…maybe he'll just show up at your house one day and see us making out."

Tori looked appalled by Beck's words, "How can you even say that?!"

Beck held his arms out to the side, his body language beginning to show how upset he was getting, "Well how can _you _say you can't tell him? He has a right to know!"

Tori put her hands on her hips, "You make it sound like I'm pregnant with his baby or something and trying to hide it from him."

Beck dropped his hands to his sides and mumbled as he turned away, "We both know _that _can't be true…"

Tori stomped her foot like she was throwing a tantrum, "Beck, you are _not _helping!"

"What do you mean I'm not helping?! I'm _telling _you that you need to tell him!"

"It's not that simple!"

"I know it's not, but you're not helping make it any simpler by keeping it from him!" Beck yelled back, feeling like complete shit inside for arguing with Tori. But in all reality, he had enough with her indecisiveness. He couldn't take all the lying and sneaking around anymore…he never really could. It was bad enough he was cheating on his girlfriend with his best friend's girl, but keeping it from them? It was definitely turning into a tough job.

Tori raked her hands in her hair and growled as she paced for a few seconds, "I don't understand how you can be so…so…" she stopped and looked him right in the eye as she spat out: "_insensitive!"_

Beck shot his head back like she just slapped him right across the face and called him the worst word in the book, "Insensitive?! I've been anything but! _You're _the one that's being difficult!"

Now Tori shot her head back like she slapped her, "Difficult?! I'm not the one being difficult, this whole _situation _is difficult!"

"Don't you think I know that, Tori? That's why I came here, so we can try to talk this out," Beck said as calmly as he could, not wanting the situation to get even more out of hand, "Do you want me to be with you when you tell him?"

Tori looked mortified, _"No! _Don't you think that would be like a double punch in the face?"

He sighed, "Then how are you gonna do it?"

Tori closed her eyes and let her head fall back, her eyes only opening once she was staring at the ceiling, "Maybe I just won't."

"What are you talking about?"

She looked back at him, "Maybe I just won't tell him because there'll be no need to, you and I will just end it and—."

_"Damn it, Tori, STOP!" _Beck screamed, not even caring how loud or pissed off he sounded. Because he _was _that pissed off, "Didn't we already try that? And remember how you came knocking on my door? I just don't understand how you want me more and yet it's somehow s_o _much easier for you to end things with _me!"_

Tori didn't say anything, just stared at him blankly.

So Beck continued, "I mean, I know the phrase 'you only hurt the ones you love' is popular and all, but really? Why you gotta be like this? Why is it so much easier for you to look _me _in the eyes and tell me it's over? That's only adding an extra lie on top of all the other ones!"

Tori stepped toward him, fire in her eyes as the passionate conversation grabbed hold of her heart, "Because _you _didn't come first!"

Beck stepped forward also, meeting her look and challenge, "Oh, I came first…and you know it! Things just got a little messed up along the way."

"_SO _messed up! God…how in the world did we get ourselves here?"

He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her closer to him, "Because we were _meant _to be here."

She had to force herself not to smile. She went in to punch him on the shoulder, but by folding her arms, it only allowed him to bring her closer to him so their bodies touched. She shook her head, "Don't say romantic lines."

"Why? It's true," he said, and when she sighed, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled it toward his chest, laying his chin on top of her head, "Tori, I know you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. And no matter how much it's going to hurt Andre, you need to tell him so that we can be happy…freely."

Moaning into his chest, she continued to hide her face, "I know…I know…"

They stood like that for some time, both of them not even wondering how they got into the argument in the first place…or how they ended it. Geez, even their fights as a couple flowed like a steady stream. It was almost w_ay _too good to be true.

Finally, Beck asked, "You still wanna go to that play tonight?"

"Meh…I don't care," came her response but it sounded to him like that was a no.

"We don't have to. We can just stay in…" he started swaying them, his head coming back a bit to place a kiss on her forehead, "do some of that homework we keep putting off…" he kissed the side of her eye, "maybe finally talk about all _this _before it drives us insane…" he kissed her cheek, massaging his lips on her skin, "possibly relieve some of this stress…"

Tori giggled softly and allowed him to kiss her lips softly, "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Gutter?" He smiled that famous _Beck _smile, "Nah, my minds up a bit higher than that…like in an airplane."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "An airplane that can't take off."

"Oh no…it took off all right," they grinned at each other before kissing, feeling completely carefree for a moment in time.

But then Tori's laptop told her that she had an incoming call. They broke apart from each other and looked at her screen.

**Call from: Jade**

Tori sighed, "Oh man…maybe I should just shut off my—."

"I'll get it," Beck said decidedly before letting go of Tori and taking steps toward the laptop.

Tori's eyes widened, "Beck, you can't! It's not even your computer and…shit…" before she could say anymore, Beck clicked "accept." And Jade came up in the screen to see Beck near the front and Tori standing a few feet back.

The cheerless girl raised an eyebrow as she asked slowly, "Beck….? What are you doing answering Tori's computer…and why is she in your room…?

Beck stared right at her, "I'm in _her _room. And I answered because I heard you've been looking for me."

Jade instantly snapped out of her confusion, "Damn right, I have! You haven't tried contacting me in a week! And Vega just now talked to Andre! What the hell is going on?!"

Beck sighed and turned around to face Tori. He gave her a look that said _I'm gonna tell her. _And Tori looked frightened…she shook her head quickly, but she didn't say or do anything to stop him. Frankly, she kind of wanted him to tell her…that way it would be out in the open. She'll get to see how he breaks the news…how Jade reacts…what'll happen to them afterward…

Beck saw the uncertainty in her eyes, but could also tell that she wanted him to go through with it.

"Beck! Stop looking away and tell me what the hell has been—."

"Tori and I have been seeing each other."

And thus, the truth came out. Tori literally felt her heart stop as she waited for Jade to crawl through the screen and slash her throat with her favorite pair of scissors. Beck held his breath, almost surprised at how fast the words slipped from his mouth. And Jade…Jade just stared.

"Why did you lie to me?" Jade asked calmly…almost _too _calmly.

"I just told you the truth," Beck answered.

"No. Before. Before you left for Japan you said, and I quote, "Jade, nothing to going to happen between Tori and I. I've got you and she got Andre." So why'd you lie?" The fact that Jade was not flipping out really had Tori worried. Was this the calm before the storm?

"It…it sounds to me like you knew about this," Beck responded, purposely avoiding the question.

Jade continued to stare blankly. Her eyes then turned to Tori, "Get out."

Tori seemed shocked that she spoke to her, "Wh-what?"

"Get. Out."

"But…this is my room and—."

_"And _that's _my boyfriend, now GET OUT!" _Jade suddenly snapped, her true emotions bursting forth as she barked the demand at Tori. And without another thought, Tori turned on her heels and exited her room. And it wasn't just that Jade terrified her, but being in the position she was in, she felt she had no choice but to do as Jade wished. In all fairness, Beck _was _still her boyfriend and she needed to talk to him alone.

Tori slumped against the wall beside her door before sliding all the way down to the floor. She kept her knees up to her chest, unable to fully grasp what was going on this very second.

_Beck told Jade…which means I need to tell Andre now…especially before Jade does. He doesn't need to find out from her…_

She wished she could get on Beck's laptop and call Andre back. But he had it in her room with him. And she was _not _about to go back in there and ask for it.

"Care to elaborate?" Jade asked, venom in her voice.

Beck grabbed the laptop off of the bed and set it on the desk so he could sit in the chair.

"Don't sit on _her _things!" Jade yelled, revolted that he would even do that in front of her.

Ignoring her last command, Beck sighed and prepared to answer her question, "Okay, first off…I want you to know that this was not premeditated. I didn't leave California with the thought that I was going to fall in love with Tori again and I—."

Jade held up her hand, "Stop." Beck listened to her this time. He shut his mouth as he patiently waited for her to get a handle on the situation. She stuck her tongue against the inside of her bottom lip and slowly slid it over to her cheek. She continued to hold her hand up, but she wasn't granting him eye contact. And Beck was with Jade long enough to know that this is what she did when she tried to keep herself from crying.

His eyes softened as he watched her struggle to keep control, "Look, Jade…I'm really sorry about all this. But…two years ago…when we first got back together…you knew I still had feelings for Tori and—."

"Stop…!" Jade interrupted again, her voice cracking this time. Her fingers covered her mouth when she heard the weakness in her tone. She still refused to look straight at him, "stop…saying her name…"

Beck licked his lips as he tried to continue, trying to be more conscious of when he used Tori's name for Jade's sake, "You knew, Jade. And yet you wanted me back…and Tor—," he cut himself off, "and because she didn't want to date me…I…I felt like I had no choice…" He cringed when he made it sound like she wasn't even second best; not even an option at all.

Jade only shook her head. She didn't want Beck to see her so upset over this…but she was! What person wouldn't be!? But she could only think back to all the times she was nice to or depended on Tori…

Like the first time she and Beck broke up…she went to Tori's house to ask her to get Beck back for her. Why she did that…she thought she would never know, but the more she thought about it, the clearer it became: it was because she knew that Beck liked Tori, even at that time. So she figured that if Beck was going to listen to anybody, it would be her. She put her complete hope in Beck's feelings for Tori so that she could get him back. How messed up was that?

Or like the time that she wanted to put on a play but didn't have the money to do it. Tori was the only one that stepped up and offered to help. And Jade took advantage of that…all because she wanted her father to see her stupid play. She would have never accepted Tori's help otherwise.

Or like the time she was about to perform at the Platinum Music Awards…Tori refused to kiss Beck because he was Jade's ex-boyfriend. How completely, utterly absurd. And she felt bad for Beck…she really did, because she could obviously see how disappointed he was. She knew that if she didn't give Tori her spot back at the music awards, Beck would never forgive her for it. And she wanted Beck's approval…not Tori's friendship. And it must have worked somewhat…he took her back a week later…

"Jade?"

She came back to the current moment when she heard him say her name. He looked concerned.

"Don't look at me like that," she said steadily but then quickly changed her tone, "Don't you _dare _look at me like that! After all those promises you made me, after all this time sneaking behind my back…don't you _dare _look at me like you feel sorry for me! You don't give a shit and you never did! Not since that _tramp _came into our lives!"

"Don't call her that," Beck said softly, yet firmly.

Jade gave a sarcastic laugh, "Don't call her that he says…well what do you want me to call her?!" She suddenly put on the fake movie-star-from-the-1940s accent she used to mock Tori, "Oh, Tori Vega's such a sweetheart! I don't know what I'd ever do without her!"

"Look, Tori's not the only one at fault here."

"Well, no shit, Sherlock! What do you think I just said? Or are you not listening to me? Maybe you stopped listening to me three years ago when—."

"Jade, I've always listened to you, and that was probably _worse _than not listening! Ever since Tori came to Hollywood Arts, all you've been doing is complaining and getting jealous all the time."

Jade smirked evilly and waved her hand magically, "Obviously my actions have been justified."

Beck sighed, "It's what pushed me away from you though."

"Oh, so now you're saying _I _pushed you to c_heat _on me?" Jade asked disgracefully.

Beck closed his eyes slowly, almost hating how cliché his next line was going to be, "I didn't mean for it to happen like this…"

"Whatever, Beck," Jade spat, her nose stinging as she felt warm tears begin to form behind her eyes. _Damn emotions. _"No one cheats by chance…it's always by choice."

Beck looked one-hundred percent sure of himself when he told her: "It is my choice…I want to be with Tori."

Jade glared at him, but then her expression turned enormously forlorn, but then she gave a mocking smile that held no goodness to it, "You know it'll never work out. You think you two are a match made in heaven? Well you're not. It's not angels that cause people to cheat," She leaned closer to the screen to sneer at him, "It's the devil."

Of course, Beck was pretty used to her dark ways, but hearing her outright curse his and Tori's relationship shocked him, "Jade, we're trying to make things right by—."

Her laughter cut him off, "Trying to make things right…it'll never be right, Beck! Not with her! You belong with _me _and you know it!"

Beck blinked a few times at her words, "You sound delirious."

She ignored his remark, "We only have a few more days left of this stupid final project shit. Then we'll all be back in California and we can leave everything behind us." She picked up a pair of scissors and a rag that were sitting beside her laptop, beginning to clean the blades like she just got done using it for something dirty.

He kept his eyes on her scissors, wondering what was going through her mind, "I'm staying with Tori."

But Jade didn't respond, just kept cleaning her scissors. She spent a few more moments doing so before calmly placing them back down, gentle, almost as if they were made of glass. Then she looked at him again, and he became stunned when he saw a lone tear run down her cheek, black from her mascara.

"You think you can hurt me?" Jade asked, sitting up straight to try to remain strong and not show Beck her weakness…not now…not now… "You can't. Because you already know how much shit has gone on in my life. But I can hurt you, Beck….I know things about you that'll make Tori _hate _you."

Beck felt terrible…not just because she was crying and trying with all her might to not do so, but she was bluffing…very obviously bluffing. She wanted to believe that he was hiding something that could truly change the situation the around. But he wasn't…he was as transparent as his locker suggested. Especially now that he told Jade about him and Tori.

Another black streak stained her cheek, "You think I'll just let this end without a fight? You mean _too much to me _to not fight for!" Jade yelled as if this were an insult. But the only thing she had on her side was making him feel like shit. And it was kind of working.

Beck took in a sharp inhale, hating to see her like this. Granted, she put him through a lot and was often very unpleasant, but that didn't mean he hated her…they spent the majority of their high school years together and that would always mean something to him.

"I don't want to lead you on anymore, Jade. It's over."

Jade folded in her lips in to stop an exhale that may have resulted in a sob. Though she basically knew that something was going on between him and Tori, hearing it straight from his mouth was on a complete different level. She was really hoping that if he were to tell her, that he would wait until they were all back in California, so she would be face to face with him, to maybe be able to convince him out of his decision…

But there's only so much you can do over video chat when you're in two different countries. She could have told him she loved him…but that would be just so cliché that it sickened her. So she said the only other thing that came to mind, which was, sadly, just as cliché: "This is not over."

But then she ended the chat because she was only a mere second away from breaking down.

Beck sighed when she wasn't on the screen anymore, pushing the chair away from the computer. He stared at the ground for a long minute, waiting to see if he felt regret at all. But he didn't. Maybe sadness that he just ended a long term relationship…bad that he hurt Jade like that…but an overall relief that he did what was long overdue.

He stood up and went to the door, opening it to see Tori sitting on the floor outside. She lifted her head from her knees when she heard him, looking up into his face. He kneeled down next to her, and she could see the grief in his eyes. Still, he smiled and reached out to push her hair behind her ear, "It's over."

()()()()()

Hello! I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll be going out of town again for the next week! I'm bringing my computer and I'm gonna try to find time to write, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna have internet access wherever I go. I have to leave early in the morning, too, so I should probably not be up this late writing this. But I wanted to leave you guys with another chapter and let you know there might be a small delay in updates for a minute. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter...it took me by surprise! I wasn't planning on having them come out until they got back to CA. Oh well...


	25. What Did She Say?

**Final Project**

**XXIV.**

"Come on, come on, _come on!" _Tori yelled at her laptop as it continued to ring. The little image of a phone releasing sound waves above the words "Calling: Andre" was getting on her nerves. She had been trying for nearly an hour to reach him, but he wasn't answering any of her calls.

"Still no luck?" Beck asked from her living room, his head titled to the side to look at her from the other side of the couch.

Tori sighed loudly and slumped in the desk chair, "No." She continued to watch the computer try to connect to Andre, "Maybe I should just let it keep ringing. If he's there, he'll eventually pick up, right?"

Her question sounded more like a hopeful wish than an observation. They both quietly knew that if Andre was indeed by his laptop, then he wasn't answering Tori for a reason. And if he wasn't by his laptop…well, then no matter how much she called, he wasn't going to pick up, obviously.

"I should have called him sooner…" Tori answered her own question, her eyes lowering to her lap before closing, "I shouldn't have given Jade the chance to reach him first…"

"Hey," Beck started softly, standing up from the couch to walk over to her, "You don't know that Jade has said anything….don't you think Andre would be even more eager to talk to you if she did?"

Opening her eyes, she cocked her head back to stare up at him, "I don't think _eager _is the best word to use there…"

Beck ran a hand through his hair, "Right, maybe not…but still, he would want to get the story straight from you."

Tori chuckled mirthlessly, lowering her head again, "If Jade actually admitted to him that you two broke up because you're now with _me…_I doubt he's gonna wanna talk to me right now."

Beck sighed this time, sitting down on her bed, "I don't think Jade told him."

"Why?!" Tori yelled suddenly, sitting straight in her seat as her hands clutched the arms of the chair, "Why would she _not, _Beck?! She has _every _reason to want to hurt me now!"

"Yeah, but…" Beck fell back on the bed, his legs still hanging over the side. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to think like Jade, "Jade was always really good at knowing _exactly _how to hurt someone. So she probably knows that her telling him about us will soften the blow before he talks to you."

Tori stared at him incredulously, "So you're saying that she wants to hurt Andre then? Why?"

Beck clasped his hands over his stomach, "No, not exactly…but she's after _you _so Andre just kinda gets caught in the middle…"

Tori could only continue to stare before speaking slowly, "The fact that you sound so sure about this kind of creeps me out…"

Beck narrowed his eyebrows slightly before sitting up, "Why? 'Cause I know Jade so well?"

"Not just that…" Tori thought about continuing but just shook it off as she quickly turned her chair back to her laptop and pressed the end button, "I'm sick of hearing that thing!"

They both sat in silence for a few minutes before Beck asked gently: "Would you like me to try to call Jade and ask her?"

Tori's eyes brightened for a second and she snapped her fingers, "Oh my God, _yes! _Wait…" she snapped her fingers again, "No!"

Beck had to hold in a laugh at her anxiety, "Why not?"

Tori stood up suddenly, beginning to pace, "Because! If you ask her if she told Andre, and she didn't, then she'll know _I _didn't yet, and then she might do it!"

Beck plumped out his lower lip and nodded his head a few times, "Good point. But if she _did _do it, then I could ask her what exactly she told him, so then you'll know more of what to go off of."

Tori practically stabbed her hair behind her ear, "Beck, you two aren't together anymore! What makes you think she's gonna tell you anything, anyway?"

He shrugged, "Worth a try, right?"

She held out her hands like she was trying to steady herself. Truthfully, she needed the extra support…her body felt like it was on fire from all the stress of not knowing, and it was making her dizzy. "Okay, yeah…go over to your room and try to call her. I'm gonna stay here and keep trying to reach Andre."

"All right," Beck stood up and walked to her, placing both his hands on her cheeks to make her look right at him, "Calm down, Tori…everything's going to be fine."

And it never fails; she can be cool, calm, and collected (sorta) but then as soon as someone offers words of support, they do the opposite effect and make her feel worse. Tears brimmed her eyes and she didn't even try to blink them away, "I just don't want to lose him, Beck…he's my best friend…"

The extreme disparity and sadness in her voice made his heart clench. Sadly, he didn't realize until just then how much harder her situation was compared to his. He and Jade had been dying for a long time now…as far back as when they first broke up. And he remembered from the time that they were "just friends" that she started treating him like she treated everyone else. Jade had a way about her that didn't cause a huge hole to form in his life.

Even when they were together, they would sometimes go days without talking, even if they were sitting right next to each other. And he knew it wasn't one of those "comfortable silence" deals that couples sometimes have. Those times that they were silent, he wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to her. But he didn't have anything to say…couldn't think of anything. And every time he did, it was obvious that he was reaching, because Jade would just shoot him an odd look and remain silent.

That was hardly a friendship, let alone a relationship.

But with Tori…Tori had had Andre from the beginning of her music career. Andre was the one that helped and persuaded her to stay at Hollywood Arts when Jade was trying everything to get rid of her. How Beck took Jade's side so many times, he would never be sure.

Just from his time with Tori, however, he knew that he held a place in Tori's heart that Andre would never be able to fill. And it wasn't that Andre was a bad guy (way better than Beck after what he's done, that's for sure), but some people just don't have that _thing…_that connection.

But Andre had fooled himself over time that Tori was _it_ for him.

If Beck could only convince Andre of that…then maybe he could still make things _civil _for him and Tori. And if not…

Then he hoped that Tori could forgive him one day for tearing her away from her best friend.

* * *

><p>"Crawling back so soon?"<p>

Beck had gone back to his room to call Jade….who picked up pretty quickly, considering. He watched her as her simple yet malicious words came crawling out of her upturned mouth.

"Jade, I have to ask you a question…" he began, not sure if he should be blunt about it, or go around the question until he got an answer he could use.

"Well, I don't _have _to give you an answer since we're not together anymore."

He shook his head. Screw going around the bush, "Tori has been trying to reach Andre, but he won't answer."

Jade swiveled in her chair slightly, though her dark eyes never left his, "That's hardly a question."

Beck sighed, "Did you…did you tell Andre?"

A large smile appeared on her lips, and Beck couldn't help but notice how stunning she would look if the smile didn't have to be so devious, "Why Beck, I'm surprised at you…you think _I _would ruin someone's relationship?"

_God, was she being difficult!_

"Look, Jade…could you just answer the question?"

Jade appeared to think about it, "Hm…what do I get if I tell you?"

Beck's shoulders slumped, "What do you want?"

Suddenly, she stopped moving her chair and her smile disappeared, "You're an idiot. For even asking that! You know _exactly _what I want, so why would you even bring that into the bargain?!"

Needless to say, he was pretty shocked by her outburst…and he didn't know why. It had only been a few hours since he broke up with her, so of course she was still bitter.

He softened his eyes, though he remained solid, "You can't have me back, Jade…not this time."

Her eyes widened at his words, "What…oh you think…" but she stopped herself and then laughed, though the sarcasm overcame the joy. When she stopped, she sat forward to look him right in the eye, "Yes, I talked to Andre."

And Beck's heart fell into his stomach…how was he going to break this news to Tori?

When he didn't respond in words right away, Jade sat back, "She should have done it first. I'm done here." And then she ended their call.

Beck sat back in disbelief. Honestly, and he didn't know why now that he really thought about it, he was not expecting that answer. The only reason he mentioned asking Jade to Tori in the first place was because he was so sure Jade hadn't told Andre anything. He just wanted to reassure Tori…but now what? Now he had to go back to her room and tell her the reason why Andre wasn't answering any of her calls…

Sucking in a deep breath, he stood up and walked to his door before releasing it. _Oh man…_

* * *

><p>Tori was lying back on her bed, still listening to the ringing of her computer. <em>Why is he not answering? <em>She then heard a light tap on her door. She sat up quickly and sprinted to the door, flinging it open to see an expected Beck standing there.

Despite the situation, she had a huge smile on her face as she prepared herself for him to give her the good news, "Well? What she say?"

But Beck didn't say anything. He had his hands in his pockets and stared at her sadly, not sure how to tell her that Jade got to him first. And his expression said it all…he didn't have to say anything. Tori's smile quickly faded and she was left in a daze. She backed away from the door.

Beck had to hold out his hand to stop the door from closing in his face. He stepped into the room to let the door shut behind him, and he reached out his arms and pulled her against him, feeling her short breaths against his neck.

"I'm sorry, Tor…you were right; you should have told Andre first…" He placed a hand on the back of her head, his arm around her waist tightening to keep her still.

"He…he knows?" she mumbled into his neck, disbelief in her voice.

Beck pressed his lips to her forehead, not yet knowing how she was going to react, "Jade told me she told him…and it didn't look like she was lying…"

"Wh…what?" Tori felt a single tear slip down her cheek as she thought about the pain and betrayal that Andre felt at this very moment. How much was he hurting? What was he doing that he wasn't answering her calls? Was he just staring at his computer, thinking about how much he hated her? Was he writing a nasty song about an ex-girlfriend that cheated on him? Was he wandering the streets of Argentina, wondering why she did this to him…?

Not knowing was harder than knowing…and not having a way of knowing, that was even harder. Her best friend…probably her ex-friend now…was heartbroken thousands of miles away…and it was all her fault.

"This is your fault, Beck," she instead said, pushing her hands against him to release herself from his grip, "If you didn't tell Jade then…then I could have told Andre…"

Beck closed his eyes at her words, trying to keep his voice calm to avoid getting into any sort of argument with her, "You're right…I should have waited, but you were just taking so long and—."

"So long?!" Tori said in a slightly louder tone, though not quite yelling. Hot tears burned her cheeks, but she didn't even bother to brush them away, "I didn't know _how _to tell him!"

"But you _had _to tell him…the longer he went without knowing, the—."

Tori shook her head, "Now I don't _have _to tell him anything 'cause Jade already took care of it! I can only imagine how much venom she added to the story…"

Beck licked his lips, not having a way to deny that, "Look, even if Andre doesn't answer your calls now, he's going to have to see you when we get back…"

Shaking her head again, Tori lowered her head and hid her face in her hands, "By then his hatred for me will already be set in…he won't even want to listen to me…"

Beck stepped toward her, placing his hands on her arms and squeezing gently, "He'll listen eventually, Tori…he has to."

Tori wanted to let out a quick laugh, but it instead came out as a sharp sob, "No…he doesn't have to do anything, Beck…" she lifted her face and stared at a blurry vision of Beck, "He doesn't have to have anything to do with me anymore…"

"Yeah, but…but you're his best friend…" Beck knew he sounded pathetic…but there was only so much you could say to someone when no words could soothe their pain.

"Not anymore…"she closed her eyes and allowed more tears to slip down her cheeks, "I don't have him as anything anymore."

Beck's heart went out to her, and he knew he would give anything to switch places with her right now…to have her be the one with the easy, no-big-deal breakup. But that couldn't happen. He cupped her cheek and wiped away a couple tears with his thumb, causing her to open her eyes to see the love and sympathy in his.

"I know it's not much consolation right now…but you still have me, Tor. You always will."

Tori sniffed loudly when his words made her want to cry harder and for twice the reasons, but she forced a small smile, though her emotions wouldn't let it stay long, "It is…" she choked out, closing her eyes when it got too hard to keep them open, "I know."

She placed her hands on the sides of his face and brought his lips to hers. Her lips tasted salty from her tears, and he felt her lips trembling against his. But he was glad that she didn't turn him away…glad that she didn't feel like she had to let him go, too, because of all the crazy circumstances…

Background noise had been even further in the back of their minds since Beck came back over. And now…with them embraced in each other's kiss…the sudden lack of ringing went unnoticed until they heard a shout…

_"What the hell is going on?!"_

Beck and Tori broke apart, more out of surprise than guilt, but when they both turned to Tori's laptop, they became painfully aware that Andre had finally answered Tori's call…

"Andre!" Tori smiled happily, her mind not yet comprehending the depth of the situation, "You finally answered!"

Andre's eyes were narrowed, his mouth hanging slightly open in disbelief. He answered _her _call to see _them _kissing…and _that's _all she has to say?!

"Why the fuck were you…kissing…" Andre stuttered, feeling the foreign word slip from his mouth that usually remained clean. No, not the f-bomb…the k-bomb.

Beck could only stand awkwardly as he ran his hand through his hair, not sure if he should leave or stay. But Tori stepped in front of the screen anyway, the tears that stained her face not going unnoticed to Andre.

"I need to tell you _my _side of the story, Andre…please, whatever Jade told you, forget it and let me start from the beginning!" Tori practically begged, though she knew having him catch her and Beck kissing wasn't the best start for her either.

"Forget what Jade told me?" Tori couldn't tell if Andre seemed more confused or angered when he asked the question, "So what she said was a lie?"

"Yes! I mean…no! I mean…" Tori stumbled over her words. She didn't know exactly _what _Jade had told him, so she didn't know how to bounce off of her words, "I'm sure a lot of it was a lie. So let me just explain."

"So it wasn't me you wanted to…" Andre started, but then stopped before he could say anymore, "but she said you wanted me to…"

Tori narrowed her eyes when she felt completely confused by his words. Was she misinterpreting them? Was he only talking to himself and not responding to her?

"Look, Andre…" Tori decided to take the reign, "Beck and I…just _happened! _I didn't do it to hurt you, I swear, that was the _last _thing I wanted to do!" She saw the shock and disbelief in his eyes, "But you remember how we—me and you—got together, right? 'Cause I was upset over Beck…I…I don't think I ever really got over him. I mean, it's not like you weren't a good boyfriend, Andre! You were the best! I just…it's just…he…"

She began to stumble over her words when Andre looked down, a lack of emotion written on his face. Tori stopped talking when she saw that he didn't want to look her in her eyes, "Andre…Andre please…_please _forgive me. Tell me what Jade told you so I can clear any of the nasty stuff up…"

With that, Andre chuckled softly, though he didn't look up, "What Jade told me." He closed his eyes hurtfully before raising his head to her, a look of despondency in his eyes, "I would rather hear what Jade told me over what you just told me any day…"

Tori's heart skipped before it dropped, and she wondered if that was what having a heart attack felt like.

Behind her, Beck also had to do a double take at what Andre was saying. What did he mean by…

But then Beck thought back to his conversation with Jade and how she worded her answer:

_"Yes, I talked to Andre…"_

She didn't say anything about _telling _him…

"Wh-what…?" Tori whispered, but Andre had looked back down again. She saw him fold in his lips before looking up to the ceiling, a crystal tear slipping down his dark skin. "Andre…"

She thought saying his name would make him look at her but instead it only seemed to intensify his pain and anger as his hand suddenly slapped the computer to the side, causing Tori to jump back like he just slapped _her_. She watched as the computer screen showed his room in a tumble before it finally stopped, though it was facing a far-off window. In the background, she heard a door open and shut loudly.

She could only stare with her mouth wide open at what just occurred. She quickly turned around to face Beck, who looked just as shocked as she.

"What the hell did Jade tell him?!"

()()()()()()

Oh man...do you guys hate me? I am so, so, SO sorry. But you really have to understand...my time has become even more limited. I started student teaching this semester, so on top of regular homework, I now have lesson plans to make. My days are still spent for spending time with my son, but because my homework rate has tripled, all my free time at night has been taken up. I haven't even had time to visit the site, let alone write and post anything on it.

But I felt so bad, that I literally made arrangements to write this for you. So I'm sorry if it wasn't up to par with the other chapters...I just knew I had to knock it out in a few hours. As you can see though, a whole new step has taken place. Based off of this, I'm estimating that there is about six chapters left of this story. Update rate? Still unknown.

I want to thank you all for continuing to stick with me and review, though. You guys are super!

Enula


	26. Trapped Freedom

**Final Project**

**XXV.**

After the tragic incident of Andre catching Beck and Tori kissing, they decided to focus purely on their final project. They had less than a week to put it together and there was nothing else that could distract them from dreading what was awaiting them back in California. And after spending the rest of the day trying to reach Jade again, to no avail, they figured that she wasn't going to answer them any longer.

Tori wasn't sure if Andre would try to talk to her before they met up again, but she kept her computer open with the sound as loud as it could go. She even felt nervous about going to the bathroom in fear that that would be the time he would call.

Beck saw and felt her anxiety increase as the hours passed and felt almost helpless. There was nothing he was going to be able to do to cheer her up until she made up with Andre. Or at least talked to him once more. And truthfully…he hated it. He despised this whole thing.

They were both single now. No denying that. But because of the way it was presented to their exes, there was no way they could move on with each other freely and with no regrets. He still couldn't call Tori his girlfriend. And he wished he could blame Jade for that. But truth was, it was his and Tori's fault for being so careless. Not just with kissing in front of her laptop when she was calling Andre, but with everything.

He should have forced her to talk about them. About Andre. Let her know that he couldn't do anything with her until she broke it off with Andre. He could've sworn he tried that, though…and the possible result scared him too much to really go through with it: he was scared of giving Tori that ultimatum. He was scared that if he said "me or him" that she would pick him. Not because she loved Andre more, but because she would have felt pressured by Beck.

Either way, they couldn't go back in time and what was done was done.

But it was so hard being so close to her as they looked through their pictures and videos to put together their project. Her voice was lower…slower…sadder. He often saw a blurriness in her eyes that made him want to pull her into him, but every time he reached out to her, she shook him off and reminded him that they had to focus on their project.

They were both free but never felt more trapped.

When nighttime came, Beck politely asked if Tori wanted him to spend the night with her. She declined. Said she needed some time to herself. He could do nothing but say he understood.

And for the first time since they've been together, they weren't together.

It made Beck think about his plans he made the day Tori sang him that song at Shi-chan's. Shiori gave him some awesome ideas on how to give Tori the best night of her life, and he knew that there would be no better way to end their trip in Japan. But now…now he wasn't so sure he should go through with them. He didn't want to push Tori any more than he already had, and he was almost positive she wasn't in the mood for romance.

So he texted Shiori to inform her that he was cancelling and that she should stop pulling whatever strings she was pulling to get the reservations set up. Of course, she wanted to know why. But there were no words to describe why. So he never texted her back.

Tori couldn't even sleep that night. She kept her laptop on her bed, lying in the spot that Beck would normally occupy. Her desktop wallpaper was a snapshot of her locker at Hollywood Arts. She photo enhanced it a bit to really make the words glitter, but every time she thought about what "Make It Shine" really meant, her heart ached all the more. It was, after all, not only the first thing that tied her to Hollywood Arts, but the first thing that tied her to Andre. To everyone. She was only friends with everyone because of Andre.

And though she wished she didn't regret everything she had with Andre, she did. If she wouldn't have acted so irrationally that day, she wouldn't have practically begged him to date her. And if she didn't beg him, he never would have chased after her, they would have remained simple friends, and he could be rooting for her now instead of hating her.

And yes, she was kind of mad at Beck. He was the one that was irrational this time…telling Jade before he really thought about the consequences. Whatever Jade planned, it definitely involved hurting Tori, and she did a damn fine job this time.

Guess they all just had to see how this one would work out…

* * *

><p>"Morning, Beautiful," Beck greeted her the next morning when he knocked on her door.<p>

"Hey…" she dryly responded, her hair a mess and bags under her eyes.

He cleared his throat as he stepped into her room, closing the door gently behind him as he watched her drag her feet back to her bed. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to speak with as much gentleness as he could muster, assuming he was about to step into some lava, "Talk to Andre yet?"

Tori shook her head, "No…and I doubt it's gonna happen. So could you please…not bring it up? Please?" she looked up at him beseechingly, defeat clearing written in her eyes.

"Sorry," he mumbled out quickly, his face heating when he suddenly felt nervous and trapped. He had no idea what to talk to her about then. He was scared to love on her, he was scared to bring up Andre, or Jade, or anyone back home, and he was scared to bring up their final project. It seemed like the last thing she wanted to do was work on homework.

She cast her eyes to the floor, not wanting to see how hurt he was. But Beck was turned away from her by now anyway, stepping down into the living room area. He called back to her without turning around, "So how did you want to learn a Japanese song before we go back? Just listen to one over and over, or have Shiori help you?"

Tori flinched at his words, feeling like she didn't have the energy to learn a new language. Still, she knew they had to work on this in order to pass high school and she didn't want to be the reason they both failed, "I suppose Shiori would be more helpful…"

"Great. I'll text her to see if she can come over today," Beck answered, whipping out his phone.

She lay back on the bed, "I'm not sure I feel up to it today…"

"That may be something you have to work through," Beck countered immediately, not even looking up from his phone as he said it.

Tori only closed her eyes, "You think I'm weak."

Beck shot his head up to her at this, having just hit the send button. He didn't hear any questioning in her voice. It was like she was stating a fact she had no idea about, "I don't think that, Tor. What gave you that idea?"

"I just feel it," she inhaled deeply before letting out a long breath, "I just feel so…"

He waited for her to finish, but when it became clear that she wasn't going to, he sighed and walked over to her, "Tori, I know that you're hurting right now. And it's okay to…I would be more worried if you _weren't _upset over this whole thing."

She tried to grin at his teasing words, and that gave him more confidence.

He sat down beside her, turning his body so he could look at her as she lay on the bed, her messy hair fluffed out around her head. She stared back at him, begging him with her eyes to say something to make her feel better. He reached down and caressed his hand over her cheek, "Look, I know that you can't truly be happy until you find some closure. I just don't want you beating yourself up too hard."

Before she could respond, Beck's phone dinged to inform him of a text message. When he looked at it, he nodded, "Shiori said she could be over in a few hours."

Tori nodded also, placing her hand over top of his, "Thanks for being supportive, Beck. I…I love you."

This finally brought a genuine smile to both their faces, "And I love you, too." He leaned down to place the softest chaste kiss on her lips before standing up, "So let's try to get some more of this done. That way we won't have to wait until last minute."

"Right," she agreed, taking his hand that he offered to her.

* * *

><p>Like Shiori said, she came over a few hours later. The two girls searched through dozens of songs before finding one that Shiori loved and that Tori thought she could do without too many issues. It was called "Love is a Thrill, Shock, Suspense" by Aiuchi Rina. The song was upbeat but seemed to have deep underlying meaning to it, and the more they practiced it, the better Tori's accent was sounding. Studying the English words with their translations seemed to help, and it made her want to do half the song in her native tongue to give it diversity.<p>

Beck noticed how Tori kept glancing at her laptop throughout the day to see if Andre was calling her. He hated knowing that Andre wasn't going to…but he didn't have the heart to tell Tori that. If she believed that any guy could forgive his girlfriend of two years after what just happened, then she was obviously in denial.

"Okay, again," Shiori urged Tori when she noticed she was drifting off.

Tori snapped her eyes back to her friend, nodding when she heard the music start, watching the Japanese words flash across the screen.

_"Koi wa thrill, shock, suspense! Mienai chikara tayori ni..."_

Suddenly, Tori's laptop started blooping, and this caused poor Shiori to be pushed out of the way unexpectedly as Tori dived into her bedroom to see who was calling.

"Ohh…" she groaned out when she saw the name.

"Who is it?" Beck asked, pausing his computer to see what was going to happen.

"Cat," Tori answered, running her finger over the mouse to click accept to then see Cat's face appear on the screen.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Cat yelled happily, waving erratically at Tori.

Tori tried to force a smile, "Hey, Cat, what's up?"

"Did you know Beck and Jade broke up?" she got right to the point.

Tori shot her head over to Beck, raising an eyebrow as he stood up from his seat. She turned back to Cat slowly, "Yeah…how'd you know? You talk to Jade?"

Cat shook her head, "No, Jade updated her status on The Slap. Says she's single."

Nodding slowly, Tori reluctantly asked, "Um…did she say anything on any of her posts?"

"Um…" Cat seemed to be checking as she chatted with Tori, "Yes! It says here…" Cat cleared her throat like she was about to give a long, proper speech, "Liars, Tramps, and Whores, oh my."

To hear such words come out of Cat's mouth, and so blandly at that, would have normally been comical. But just knowing those nasty words were meant for her, Tori couldn't find any humor in it. Everyone on Jade's friend list will soon be asking what she meant, and she doubted that Jade will disagree to elaborate.

"Did something happen over there, Tori?" Cat asked innocently, her eyes big as she twirled her hair around her index finger.

Sighing, Tori pulled up her desk chair to look at her sweet friend. She almost hated having to talk about it, but if word was going to get around anyway, Cat most certainly should be one of the first to know everything, "Yes. Beck and I hooked up here and…we broke up with Jade and Andre yesterday…"

Tori almost expected Cat to clap excitedly, but the redhead's eyes remained downcast, "But no one else's status changed besides Jade's."

She nodded, "Well, the rest of us hadn't really thought about going that far to—."

"And I can't get ahold of Andre," Cat interrupted, "Robbie tried, too. Is he okay?"

Tori had to close her eyes as she felt that familiar hot sting. Hearing the hurt and concern in Cat's voice seemed to multiply the hurt and concern within herself, and the fact that she didn't have an answer only made it worse.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and knew without looking that it was Beck.

"He's hurt pretty bad right now, Cat, but he'll be fine. He just needs some time…" Beck's voice came out low and comforting.

Cat stared at the two of them in silence for a moment before offering a smile, "You guys are cute together."

"That's what I've been saying!" Shiori suddenly cut in, coming into view of the camera, "Hi, Kitty! I think you're the one Tori's been comparing me to."

"Hahaha, she called me Kitty!" Cat exclaimed, her mind instantly going from one subject to the next without any bumps, "What's your name?"

"Shiori. But you can call me Shi-chan."

"Ha! Like a sheep!"

Tori had to stand up from her chair and move herself back into the living room. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't get into the two carefree girls' conversation. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to gather her feelings, only tensing up when she felt Beck's arms circle around her from behind.

"Don't worry, Tor…he's fine. He just doesn't want to talk to anyone right now, and that seems pretty understandable, right?" Beck asked, his lips moving against the side of her head as he spoke.

"It is, it's just…" she sighed and leaned back into him, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed against hers, "I hope he doesn't do anything stupid. I know how much his emotions drive him…"

Beck didn't respond to this, just held her a bit tighter, pressing kisses to her temple. They both closed their eyes to get lost in the moment, even if it was only for a few seconds, hardly taking notice to the nonsensical chatter taking place in the other room.

They had no idea how long they stayed like that, but they both jumped apart when Shiori came back to them, "What a sweet girl!"

"Oh, she hung up…?" Tori asked, glancing back at her screen to make sure it was still on in case anyone else called.

"Yeah, she had to go. So you guys ready for tomorrow night?" Shiori asked.

Tori and Beck looked at each other quizzically before Beck asked, "What's tomorrow night?"

"Why, the _plans _you made for Tori, remember?" Shiori winked at the two of them, sitting down in front of Beck's computer to look through what they've put together so far.

Tori's heart dropped into her stomach when she thought about leaving her room. She turned to Beck, looking sorrowful that she had to decline, "Oh Beck, that's so sweet of you, but—."

"No, no…Shiori, I texted you last night canceling those, remember?" Beck prodded, letting Tori know that he had no intentions of making her do anything she didn't want to.

"Yes, but I don't recall you giving me a reason why. And I don't do stuff without reasons," Shiori grinned to the side at them, clicking on some of the pictures of Tori and Beck, "You guys are just _adorable _together!"

Beck sighed, not wishing to argue with Shiori, "Okay…look, Tor, I just wanted to do something special for you before we left, so I asked Shiori and…but unexpected things happened, and I don't want you to think that—."

"You planned something special…for me?" Tori asked, her eyes glittering with a small spark of hope that hadn't been there in the last few days.

"Well…yeah, why wouldn't I?" Beck took her hands, his hope rising that she would suddenly want to see his surprise, "When will we ever get a chance to be in Japan again?"

"True…" she agreed, looking down at their hands and thinking of how they looked so perfect together. She threaded their fingers together, loving how they all slipped right into place and how Beck always rubbed the back of her hand gently with his fingertips.

She still felt worried and terrible about everything, and her guilt was really pulling its weight around inside of her. But what he said truly made her realize how short of a time they had left in Japan. Before they knew it, they'd be back in California and may or may not ever come to Japan again. Alone or with each other. So even though her conscience was telling her it was wrong to want to have one more round of fun before they left, she couldn't help her curiosity.

She smiled at Beck, "I wanna see my surprise…"

()()()()()()()()()

Hello everyone! Got another update out, yea! Not too much happened unfortunately...and it's kinda on the short side, but I remember that I promised you guys another fluffy chapter, so I'm leading up to it! I wanted to get this chapter out in celebration of the new Victorious episode airing this Saturday called "Opposite Date." From what I've heard and seen, looks like it could be a Jandre and BORI episode! However this episode turns out, I'm really glad Beck and Tori are getting more screen time together again! So so so excited for it...

Thanks for reading and reviewing all you great peoples out there!


	27. Beginning of the Surprises

**Final Project**

**XXVI.**

"Can't you just give me a small, little hint…please?" Tori begged Shiori as the girls looked at each other in a mirror in Tori's bathroom. Shiori was busy doing Tori's hair, adding curls and hairspray like crazy.

"Uh-uh, I don't think Beck would be very happy with me if I gave away the surprise," Shiori grinned at her friend as she released the curling iron the sent a bouncy curl floating down the side of Tori's face.

"Aw, c'mon…I'm an actress, I can fake complete surprise!" Tori countered as she reached up to feel the new curl.

Shiori spun a new strand of hair around the curling iron, "And you're also Beck's girlfriend, so you should be _truly _surprised."

Giving her the title of "Beck's girlfriend" made her stop. It still felt so foreign hearing herself called that. For as long as she's known her group of friends at Hollywood Arts, Jade had been the only infamous person known as "Beck's girlfriend." So was it strange that she hardly recognized herself in the mirror when Shiori said the words? Tori reached up and touched her face gently, careful not to mess up the awesome make-up job Shiori did on her.

"What's wrong, Tori-chan?" Shiori asked softly as she caught the far off look in Tori's eyes.

Tori blinked, catching Shiori's eyes, "N-nothing, I just…everything's still feels so…not real."

Shiori giggled, mistakenly taking her words to mean that being "Beck's girlfriend" was too good to be true. And Tori supposed that under any other circumstance, that may have been the case. But truth was, she was too worried about…everything to really enjoy the title. Worried about what everyone was going to think of her once she stepped foot inside Hollywood Arts. Worried about what Jade was going to do to harass her. Worried about Andre in general…

"Shiori…can I ask you something?"

"Ask away!" Shiori exclaimed as she once again let a soft curl frame Tori's pretty face.

Tori chewed on her bottom lip gently, knowing that she would like her look a whole lot better if there was happiness in her eyes, "Have you ever done something you really wanted to do, but still felt bad about doing it?"

Shiori was silent for a long moment as she started ironing another curl. Tori was beginning to think that she wasn't going to get an answer, when Shiori finally responded, "Yes. But it was not like your situation at all."

Though she didn't want to pry if Shiori didn't want to talk about it, Tori still heard herself asking lowly, "What kind of situation was it…?

Once again, Shiori didn't respond immediately, but once she started, she made sure to focus intently on curling Tori's hair and not have any eye contact, "My mother was a singer. But when she…left after I was born, my dad took it pretty hard. I started singing almost around the same time I started to talk. My dad asked me to stop on more than one occasion. He never told me directly, but it didn't take me long to realize that it was because my singing reminded him of my mom." Shiori stopped, let the curl bounce freely, then wrapped up another strand, "I knew it hurt him, but I just loved singing so much that I didn't want to stop. He tried to get me into things that were all about him, such as karate, working at Shi-chan's, stuff like that. And I did all that because I knew it made him happy, but I still never stopped singing."

"Because singing made you happy," Tori concluded for her friend.

Shiori finally caught her gaze in the mirror and smiled softly, "Exactly. It's good to try to make other people happy, but if you don't make yourself happy first, there's no happiness to spread."

Tori grinned, "I'm gonna use that line now, right after I introduce it with 'A wise woman once told me…'"

Shiori chuckled, "If you wish. I just hope my story helped you a little."

"I…I think it did…" Tori answered truthfully, watching Shiori begin making the last curl.

"Good. 'Cause I would hate to see you and Beck not stay together after everything that happened."

Tori tried to smile at that, but it was very forced. She blinked a few times as her eyes glazed over in thought. It would be a shame…her and Beck not staying together. She lost a few friends because of their relationship (though Jade's friendship status was always an iffy anyway), so them not working out would be a triple slap in the face. She wondered if Beck thought this way, too. Should she even be thinking about this? Is she forever going to grasp onto their relationship s_imply _because she didn't want all her sacrifices to be in vain?

"Tori!" Shiori's voice snapped Tori out of her thoughts. She glanced at Shiori in the mirror, but Shiori was quick to grab her shoulders and spin her around to face her. Shiori was shaking her head, "Don't cry, honey, you'll not only ruin your make-up, but your mood. Why are you so upset right now?"

Tori closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, using all her willpower to not cry, "I'm just scared that…after everything…what if this isn't what I want?"

When Tori opened her eyes again, she was shocked to see Shiori smiling, even shaking a bit to hold in laughter. Tori almost took this personally, but didn't want to appear that way, "What's so funny?"

Shiori fingered a few of Tori's fresh curls, "Tori-chan, you sound like you're about to marry the guy. I know it's easy to want to think about forever with someone, but that's when we start setting expectations that usually end up as disappointments. You and Beck _just _got together. Live in the moment. Enjoy being young together while you can. And if you two are meant to be together forever, then it'll happen. But _don't _think about it. Live each day like it's your last day together. You'll never get bored then, right?"

Tori felt her vision get blurry as Shiori spoke, but made sure to hold her finger under her eye to catch whatever tears may fall, "You're only slightly older than me…how'd you get so wise?"

Shiori fluffed a few more of Tori's curls before taking a step back to look at her, "That's a story for another day, kay?"

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door that could be no other than Beck. Tori instantly straightened up and turned around to look at herself in the mirror again. She was glad her eyes instantly cleared and was placed with genuine excitement. She ran her hands down her figure-hugging deep-purple dress that stopped at her knees. The left-shoulder-strap was thick and glittery as it shimmered like a million diamonds.

Shiori happily opened the door for Beck, doing a low, exaggerated bow as she let him in, "Your lady awaits."

Beck chuckled softly as he stepped into the room. Since the bathroom was immediately to the entrance's right, Tori saw him right away and instantly stopped smoothing out her dress. Their eyes met, and Tori's hands went straight to her sides, then clasped in front of her, then behind her, then pressed to her sides again.

"Hey, Beck," she greeted with a smile, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous.

"Hey…" he trailed off, left speechless at how gorgeous his girlfriend looked.

Tori blushed at his lack of words as her hands came together again to allow her fingers to fiddle with each other. She heard Shiori clear her throat, and when she looked at her, she saw that Shiori was pointing down at her feet.

Tori looked down to notice that she had yet to put on her heels. Though it was silly, she suddenly felt naked, "Heh…oops, guess I'm not quite ready."

"I think you're perfect," Beck disagreed, taking a step back so Tori could get out of the bathroom and get her black heels that were waiting for her at the foot of the bed, "You look like a…a sophisticated Pocahontas without shoes."

Tori laughed quickly at his joke, sitting on the edge of the bed to slip her feet into the final pieces of her outfit. As she stood up, she took a quick peek at her laptop that was open, revealing her homepage. This would be the first time since her and Andre broke up that she would be leaving her room. She had continued to hope that Andre would calm down enough to talk to her, but that luck never came into fruition.

This glance didn't go unnoticed to Beck, making him shove her hands into the pockets of his slacks. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt out of place in his three-piece suit, and he could tell Tori felt a bit out of place as well.

"Come on, you two!" Shiori yelled from the door, snapping them out of whatever it was they were in, "Let's show the world what a beautiful couple looks like!"

Tori and Beck couldn't help but grin at each other due to Shiori's exuberance. Beck finally reached out a hand for her. Smiling, Tori grabbed her small hand purse before placing her opposite hand into his. Though she should have been used to the feel of his skin against hers, feeling their hands together now ignited a whole new feeling inside of her. Maybe it was because this was their first time going out on a real date. Yes, this wasn't them going out as just friends. Or going out as friends sneaking around. This was them _for real. _And for Tori, the reality of her and Beck finally smacked her in the face. And she didn't even have a chance at hiding the huge smile that lit up her whole face.

"You ready?" Beck asked, pulling Tori closer to him, getting more courage when he finally saw the Tori he recognized.

She grinned and shook her hips playfully, "Show me what ya got!"

He laughed and pulled her flush against him, lowering his lips to hers for a brief kiss, "Thanks for doing this, Tor."

She cocked her head to the side, but didn't have time to question him as he started for the door, her hand still in his. Shiori closed the door behind the couple, then they all made their way to the first floor and out to Shiori's car.

Shiori opened the back door and ushered them in, "Your carriage."

Shiori and Tori shared a giggle as Tori and Beck slipped into the backseat. As soon as Shiori started driving, Tori turned to Beck, "So I'm not gonna get blindfolded or anything, right?"

Beck snapped his fingers, "I knew I forgot something! Guess I'll have to use my sock…" He reached down to pretend to take off his right shoe.

Tori slapped him playfully on the arm, "Ew! Then my face will smell like feet!"

"Hmm…yeah, that wouldn't be good," Beck sat up straight again before scooting closer to her, "Would you be willing to close your eyes if I asked?"

She grinned and poked him in his side, "I dunno, I'm kinda liking the view."

Beck's eyes softened at this. He was glad the anxiety between them was lessening, and it was most likely due to getting her out of her hotel room. He wondered, however, if she would go back to being reclusive after her surprise was over and they returned.

Their destination turned out to be about forty-five minutes away, but it was totally worth it as soon as Tori set eyes on what her surprise was (or, at least, part of it). There was a huge ship parked at the dock with the words "Jumbo Floating Restaurant" written below its counterpart Japanese symbols.

"We're gonna have dinner on the water?" Tori asked excitedly, pressing her face against the side of the window to get a better view.

"Right on the water!" Beck added, grinning at how excited Tori was getting.

"Ha, definitely should have blindfolded her," Shiori commented from the front seat as she parked her car close to the dock.

"No, no, I like seeing it like this," Tori said, grabbing Beck's hand as she did. She glanced at him, smiling shyly, "With you. Like this."

As Beck mimicked her smile, Shiori opened the door for the two of them, grabbing them both into a group hug, "You kids have fun. I'll see you soon and you can tell me all about it."

"Thanks for everything , Shiori," Beck said, patting her on the back, "I'll make sure Tori continues to be surprised."

Tori's eyes widened, "You mean this isn't the _only _surprise?"

"Nope," Beck shook his head, "But I'll make sure to cover your eyes for the others."

Tori squeezed his upper arm affectionately as they both waved a goodbye to Shiori as she hopped back in her car, ready to give Beck and Tori their time together.

"Ready?" He asked her as they watched Shiori drive away.

"Always," Tori answered, her face beginning to hurt from how big her smile was.

"Then let's get this show on the road," Beck looped his arm for her to grab onto.

"You mean 'on the water'," Tori grinned as she slid her arm through his, the two walking toward the bridge that would lead them onto the boat.

Beck nodded, "Of course." Once they reached the entrance of the boat, Beck produced two tickets that he handed over to the man on board. Beck and Tori bowed to him after her bowed to them. The inside of the boat was even more glorious than the outside, as the walls seemed to be aligned with the brightest gold they've ever seen, a stark contrast to the red carpet they walked on. They heard chatter in all the rooms they passed, and it seemed like every room was a private area for each couple to have dinner in. Tori couldn't hide her excitement when she began wondering what their private dinner room was going to look like.

"Want to head up to the top deck to watch us leave port?" Beck asked when they walked by an elevator.

"I like the way you sound all…piratey!" Tori teased, pulling Beck to the elevator to answer his question.

He laughed, "And I like the way you sound when you're all… thrilled!"

They entered the small elevator that took them up three decks. When they reached the top, they saw that there were about twenty tables on the roof, all with two chairs each. Tori bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling knowingly, "Ah…so this is why you wanted to come up here."

Beck looked at her with feigned ignorance, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh…" her eyes sparkled, and she allowed him to walk her toward the edge of the boat so they could stand by the railing.

She stared out at the water for a long moment before turning to him. He was leaning on the railing, hardly a way anyone else on the boat was standing, what with their sophisticated suits and all. And even though Beck was in his Sunday best, he still looked _right _being in such a casual position. The wind from the water blew slightly heavier so high up, causing his hair to blow away from his face. She smiled softly at this.

Reaching out, she ran a hand through his hair, the way she's always seen him do it to himself. She practically melted when he gave her a genuine smile. He stood up straight, both of his hands grasping onto both of her arms, "_You…_look absolutely stunning."

Shyly, she looked down for a quick moment, laughed breathily, then stared into his eyes, "You don't have to keep complimenting me."

"Didn't realize I was," he answered truthfully, taking a step forward to close the gap between them. Tori's heart started to beat heavily in her chest at their closeness. It felt so much like the first time he's ever gotten this close to her. Why? Why did everything feel so new despite all the intimate nights they've had thus far?

When their lips met, her heart went from pounding to fluttering. She could barely feel his hand that was on the back of her head, no doubt being gentle so as not to mess her curls up, but his hand that gripped her waist was sending her reeling with emotions. Her own hands slid up to around his shoulders and she had to momentarily wonder why she was so unhappy these last few days. She had everything she wanted with Beck…what more could she ask for?

She felt like she was flying, but quickly realized that it was the boat that started to pull away from the dock.

"Here we go," Beck said against her lips, their foreheads pressed together as the scenery began moving around them.

()()()()()()

YES! The semester finally ended, thus giving me free time to once again write. I've had so many ideas enter my head these last few months, but wanted to make sure this story took precedence over all else...because you fantastic people are still reading, reviewing, and messaging me like crazy about this story. Most of my reviewers gave up on me after a few months of no updating on my other stories, but there was no giving up with you guys. So here's your Christmas present! I'll try to get the next chapter out within the next few days.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


	28. Another Surprise

**Final Project**

**XXVII.**

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant didn't take long to get to the middle of the river, as it then began to slowly float down the body of water. Tori and Beck were amused by the people on land that were waving at them as they were going by, many of them screaming hello's in their native tongue.

Tori giggled after she blew some exaggerated kisses to the crowd. She turned to Beck to see him grinning at her silliness, making her quickly clear her throat, "So uhhh…is our table up here?"

He shook his head once, "Nope."

"Oh," Tori looked surprised for a brief moment, having felt certain that they were going to be eating dinner under the sky. She didn't want to come off too disappointed, however, so she quickly replaced her confused face with a smile, "Are we on the ground floor?"

With his grin getting deeper, Beck turned around so his back was against the railing, his elbows propped up on either side of him, "Kinda…but not exactly."

Tori looked really confused now and she let out a short chuckle, "Are we going to be eating in the basement or something?"

Beck pointed a finger at her, "That…is a very close guess."

Tori raised an eyebrow. She understood that he wanted their date to be private and just the two of them, but did he really have to make them eat in the boiler room? Before she could ask anything else, however, a soft beeping in a set of three came over the inner speaker followed by a broken English voice saying: "Oliver, special dinner for two."

Blinking, Tori cocked her head to the side, "I know it's hard to understand, but I swear I just heard your last name…"

"You did," Beck grinned, taking her hand and pulling her back toward the elevator. He pushed the down button, but the doors immediately opened for other guests that had their tables reserved on the roof. They waited for the other couples to exit before entering, and Tori watched Beck press the first button at the bottom.

"You really are taking me to the basement…" Tori said, her voice giving away her worry.

Beck put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, still smiling, yet trying to sound offended, "Why Tori…you really have so little faith in my romance skills?"

"Heh…I dunno, were you ever able to actually use them?" Though she meant to throw the words back at him as a joke, she realized that maybe it was a bit too soon to bring up exes. She closed her eyes in embarrassment, "Sorry, that was a quip…"

He kissed her hair, "No need to be sorry. I thought it was funny." As he said this, the elevator doors opened up to reveal a red rope that tied off a large doorway that showed the water.

"Oohhh, we're gonna have dinner on a side deck!" Tori exclaimed, proud that she finally guessed.

"Again, not quite," Beck denied, walking her to the rope. When Tori looked down, she swore she had a mini heart attack. She saw a gangplank that was slanted down to connect to a large piece of wood…a raft. But on the middle of the raft sat a modest wood table with two chairs on either side; the table was set for two with a candle in the middle. But that wasn't the only candle. About thirty candles surrounded the table, all lit, sparkling the raft like a fancy diner. A man stood at the bottom of the plank, seeming like he was ready to help them board.

"Beck…are you serious?!" Tori turned to him quickly, but couldn't help but look back down at her surprise with wide eyes.

"It's awesome, isn't it? As soon as I saw a picture of a couple on one of those, I knew I had to take you," he smiled, taking the hook off of one end of the rope so they can start heading down.

The wind caught Tori's hair, making her grab a huge chunk of it to get out of her face, "What if I slip?"

"It's not that steep," Beck reassured her, grabbing her hand anyway as he began descending right behind her.

The plank was, indeed, short and fairly horizontal so they didn't have a hard time stepping onto their dinner raft. As soon as they were both seated, the man bowed to them before ascending the plank, then pulling the board up to lose connection with the raft.

Tori couldn't help but grip onto both sides of the table as the waves lapped gently against the raft, "What if one of the candles tip and catches fire?"

Beck chuckled, "Well, we're on water, so I think we're pretty safe."

"True…" Tori agreed, looking down at the delicious looking food that was on her plate. She glanced at the huge wine glass that sat fancily next to her plate, making her smirk as she picked it up between two fingers, "Wine, Beck?"

Beck shrugged modestly, picked up his own wine glass, took a sip, then exhaled refreshingly, "Sparkling grape juice."

Tori giggled and took a sip also, glad she didn't have to worry about getting off the raft later while being slightly intoxicated. She noticed that the Floating Restaurant began floating further away from them, "They gonna come back for us?"

He shook his head, "Nope. I'm keeping you on this raft forever."

She couldn't help but giggle again at his joking manner, tapping his leg gently with her foot from across the table. He brought his foot forward so that he could keep it next to hers, happy that their bodies were touching somewhere.

"The sun's gonna go down pretty quick now," Beck commented, picking up his chopsticks to begin tasting his food, "then this raft will look even better."

Tori had begun picking at her food, but when he said this, she looked up into the sky to see a red-orange sun that was sinking lower in the sky. She looked back at him, catching him staring at her, but instead of pretending like he wasn't, he only smiled as he continued to stare. Feeling her cheeks heat up, Tori put down her chopsticks and reached across the table to grab his hand, "Beck…this is the greatest…most romantic thing anyone has ever done. Like…ever," They both laughed.

"Don't say that," Beck said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"But it's true."

"Man! How am I ever going to top the most romantic thing ever? I still have so much I want to do for you," he smiled, but Tori could tell he was hardly joking.

"Well…if you can top _this…_than I'm gonna start calling you Casanova," she squeezed his hand lovingly before retreating back to her side to begin eating.

Beck shrugged, "If that's what you prefer."

Just as Beck predicted, the sun got lower and lower in the horizon, which made the candles seem to come alive all the more as they became the only source of light in the middle of the water, but there were still enough of them for sufficient illumination. They continued to chat idly, about other alterations and additions they planned on making for their final project, about the things they did in Japan and things they wish they could still do if they had more time (though there were only a few days left; days they needed to focus on getting their project together), about their food, about what could possibly be going on in California right now, and so on.

They were out on the water, just the two of them, for about an hour and a half before they saw the restaurant begin floating back to them.

"Well, I'm glad I found out that I could survive with you on a raft if that moment ever comes," Tori joked, though felt disappointed that their time was almost up. She had finally gotten used to the waves that gently rocked the raft, making her feel more at ease when it was moving. She liked the hollow sound of the wood when the water pushed against it, making her feel like it really was just her and Beck in the middle of nowhere.

"We're not gonna be saved quite yet," Beck teased, this time patting her leg with his foot, "Land's not quite ready for us."

Tori raised an eyebrow again, "Oh? We gonna spend the night on the raft?"

"Hmm…I never thought about asking if I could switch out the table for a bed," Beck put his finger to his chin in thought.

Laughing, Tori waved her hand in the air at him, "With our luck based on the past, it'd start raining."

"A waterbed then?"

Tori laughed again, feeling almost like she would never stop laughing. She couldn't remember when the last time was that she laughed so hard, but it definitely felt good to do it and not feel guilty about it.

The restaurant reached them within a few more minutes, stopping so that Beck and Tori can get picked up again. The couple strolled back onto the boat as another man walked down with a paddle, no doubt so that he could move the raft to shore. Beck placed his hand on Tori's lower back as they walked onto the elevator again, and this time, he pressed the button that was right above the bottom one.

"Yes! I knew we were going to the _basement _basement at some point," Tori exclaimed, sounding proud of herself.

Beck looked over at her, "If I didn't know better, I think you've been wanting to explore the basement."

"Mm," Tori shrugged her shoulders, leaning over to plant a kiss on his lips. The kiss didn't last long, however, as the elevator doors opened up to reveal a very _decorative _basement. Beck kept his hand on her lower back, gently ushering her out of the elevator and down the hall. Tori looked at the doors as they passed, "Are these…rooms?"

"Mmhmm. See? We are spending the night on the water," Before Tori could respond, Beck was pulling out a small key and opening a door on their right.

"Oh…but Beck, I didn't bring anything to change into and—," Tori cut her sentence off when she saw her pajamas and a pair of clothes neatly folded on a simple full bed.

"Already taken care of," Beck said, his hand gently ushering her into the room, "Shiori and I made sure to work out the little details ahead of time. If I really wanted to do something special for you, I knew it had to be all night."

Tori glanced at him before looking around the room. It wasn't huge, but still came complete with the bed, a large chair, a TV, and a bathroom. Her hands fiddled together for a brief moment as she began to wonder why exactly Beck wanted to make it an all-nighter. Was it to keep her distracted so she wouldn't constantly by anxious about a phone call that wasn't going to happen anyway?

"What if he calls while we're here…?" Tori heard herself asking before she could stop herself. And she winced, not only at her words, but at how Beck's shoulders drooped upon hearing them.

"Tori, I…" Beck sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair, "I really don't think he's going to. And because I think that, I was trying to do something that would take your mind off of it for awhile, 'cause I know how—."

"I'm sorry, Beck," she cut him off, placing her hands on each of his shoulders, "I didn't mean to come off as…I mean, this whole thing has been great. I love it!" She smiled softly at him, feeling her heart break, however, when Beck's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, "I love you. I'm sorry," she took a step toward him, tilting her head to press a feather-soft kiss to his lips. Her eyes remained half-lidded, loving watching his eyes flutter shut at their contact.

She pressed their hips together when she felt his hands rest on her waist. She had to admit, she missed being with him like this. She wasn't exactly feeling in the romantic mood the last few days…and she knew it was because of her damn laptop. Her mind went through crazy scenarios where her and Beck were in a heated moment when Andre finally calls. And in her messed up thoughts, his call somehow automatically gets answered and he catches the two of them in the act.

But there were no laptops with them on the restaurant. It was truly just the two of them and, Tori had to be honest with herself, she was ecstatic about that.

Tori felt Beck's hand crawl up her bare back, causing her to moan softly against his lips. When she felt his tongue on her bottom lip, she didn't even hesitate to open her mouth and invite him in, loving the heavy and content sigh that escaped from him. She tangled her fingers in his hair, and she had to wonder if he was making her feel lightheaded or if it was simply the rocking of the boat.

He broke away from the kiss first, both of them sucking in much needed air, though his lips immediately attached themselves to her neck, his fingertips brushing against her shoulder as he pushed her hair back. Tori gripped onto him, feeling her skin get tighter as the rush of warm emotions flowed through her body.

"Beck…" she moaned, sure she had something to say after, but whatever it was, was completely forgotten as soon as she felt him suck gently on a sensitive area of skin.

"I missed you…" Beck groaned against her neck, his hands pressing her to get closer to him, then roaming down to the curve of her hips, then all the way up to her shoulders. He pressed his lips to hers again, his hands slowly coming to the sides of her neck, "I missed you…"

"I'm right here," Tori whispered against his lips, repeating the parallel words they spoke to each other the night she finally confessed that she loved him.

"Thank God," he whispered back, continuing to kiss her so long as Tori kept gripping him against her like she was. His hand slid down to her shoulders, his fingers grasping onto her straps as he slid them down to her arms. He backed away from her for a moment, staring at her glazed eyes and swollen lips. He smiled, knowing that his face looked just as flushed, "Showing you our room wasn't meant to be the last surprise," he kissed her, "There's still something else."

"Can it wait?" Tori asked breathlessly, tugging on his suit to make him kiss her again.

He groaned hearing her talk like that, "I guess the boat does need to drop off most of the other guests first…"

"Uh-huh…" Tori agreed, though she had no idea what he was talking about. She kissed down his chin, dipping her head to reach his Adam's apple, kissing and nipping at the sensitive spot so he could continue talking.

Beck closed his eyes at the hot reaction passing through him, "And um…we have to pull back out into the water again before…"

When he didn't finish his sentence, Tori stopped her sweet assault and looked up at him, basking in the desire in his eyes. He saw the same in hers and it was driving him crazy.

He nodded, finally answering her question, "It can wait." And with that, he kissed her again, lifting her up to take her further in the room.

()()()()()()()

Wow, you guys...you really have been eager for more! My inbox got filled up super fast with all the review alerts, and I couldn't have been happier. SO I figured I'd give you another Christmas present...on Christmas this time. Yea! Plus, I happened to be looking through the Bori section on Tumblr and saw that some people were advertising my story on there and I felt super special. So I became motivated to write this chapter. Just as a fair warning though, their time in Japan is coming to an end...they're either going to be heading back to CA in the next chapter or the one after that.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to give my thoughts on the last few episodes of Victorious last chapter. Okay. So Tori Fixes Beck and Jade. For one, Tori, technically, didn't do anything to get them back together. Beck kinda did that all on his own. And...I dunno, maybe because so much else was going on in the episode, Bade getting back together didn't seem very realistic. I mean...I guess nothing about the show really makes sense (would Beck really give up on Tori that easily?), and since Beck never really showed signs of wanting to get back with Jade until the very last minute of the episode, I'm just like...okay, that was done just to be done. Nothing more.

So let's move on to One Thousand Berry Balls. I have to say that I LOVED this episode. The Cabbie was actually very cute (and since I really don't ship them, that's saying something). I also liked Tori and Andre's interaction this whole episode. It kinda made me really, really liking Andre again and it made me feel super bad for what I did to him in this story lol! But I think it's cause I'm still mad at Beck from TFBAJ. The song was also very nice at the end. Basically, if I was a hardcore Cabbie, Bade, and Tandre shipper, this episode would have allowed me to die happily.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Tell me what you think of the chapter! And uhhh...if you would like me to continue with the scene. ;)

-Enula


	29. No Regrets

_Warning: This chapter contains strong sexual content. Like...really strong. You have been strongly warned._

**Final Project**

**XXVIII.**

"I think we're pulling in," Beck mumbled against Tori's lips, his head tilted back as Tori looked down at him through glazed eyes. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his feet planted firmly on the floor, his hands planted firmly on her hips. Her left knee rested by his side, but her other foot was placed in between his, her balance kept by leaning on him.

Tori grinned as she continued kissing him, "Is that an innuendo for something…?"

Instantly, Beck broke the kiss and stared up at her in mock shock, "Tori Vega…did you just make a dirty joke?"

Her cheeks flushed even more than they already were. She bit her bottom lip to suppress a giggle, but Beck's expression wasn't helping her any, "Yeah, was hoping you wouldn't notice…"

Beck chuckled, running his hands up her smooth arms, "Usually don't hear you talk like that…wasn't that hard to notice."

"Wasn't that hard? Are you sure?" Tori grinned at her second dirty joke as Beck laughed good-heartedly.

"Two jokes in under sixty-seconds? What am I doing to you?"

Tori pressed her forehead against his, "Something you should be doing more of…"

Beck's eyes glazed over again, his hands sliding the straps of her dress further down her arms, "That can be arranged…" He closed his eyes when Tori crushed their lips together again, feeling her arms leave him briefly to help slip her straps through her hands. When her dress was pooled around her waist, Beck's hands found her breasts instantly.

Tori moaned against his lips, her mouth parting. Beck took advantage of this, flicking his tongue against hers briefly before licking her bottom lip. He grabbed the bottom of her hair, tugging on it gently yet forcefully enough for her to tilt her head back so he could begin concentrating on the treasures his hands found.

Letting out sharp breaths, Tori's hands began pulling at his tie, loosening it enough to begin working on unbuttoning his shirt.

Three soft beeps came over the intercom, followed by a voice speaking Japanese, probably letting most of the passengers know that they will be let off the boat soon. It broke Tori of her trance slightly, making her raise her head to stare down at what Beck was doing to her, her hands beginning to fumble.

Sensing the small change in her, Beck wrapped his arms around her, flipping them over so she was lying on her back comfortably. Because of the position he landed in atop her, his lips made contact with her tummy, his mouth gliding from her bellybutton to her sides. This caused Tori to laugh softly, though her bare top felt exposed to the cool air.

"Hey…" She said lightly, running her hands through his hair.

"Hmm?" He asked, peaking up at her, his eyes gazing in between her breasts, causing her to blush more.

"You're…you're overdressed," she said shyly, pulling at his jacket.

Beck smiled then, which actually helped her body relax. He sat back on his knees, unbuttoning the last two buttons Tori didn't get to. His tie hung loosely around his neck, and with his shirt barely hanging onto his body, Tori practically felt herself drooling.

"You look…so good…" Tori heard herself saying as she grabbed his tie and pulled him back down to her. Beck chuckled as their lips locked, his hands dropping to either side of her so he wouldn't crush her as he fell.

Beck shifted as he kicked his shoes off, hearing them hit the floor with a small thud. He grinned when he heard Tori's shoes follow quickly after. Her hands found their way inside his open shirt, running her fingertips over his shoulders so she could slide his sleeves down his arms. They ended up in a slightly awkward position as his hands moved behind him, thus taking away his support. They were pressed tightly against each other for a moment, making Tori shift her legs, which in turn made him sink in between her knees.

Tori felt how hard he was from this position, making her involuntarily squeeze her thighs and lift her hips. Beck groaned, working harder on getting his shirt off so he could get his hands back. While is right hand helped keep him propped up, his left hand quickly traveled down to her thighs, lifting her dress up so it was scrunched up completely on her hips. Once he got the dress out of the way, his fingers worked on moving her panties aside, his index finger instantly plunging into her wet core.

_"Beck!" _Tori screamed, surprised beyond comprehension. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as her body instinctively tensed around him. Even when they messed around before, he had only pleasured her from the outside, so the fact that he did something to bold, and so quickly at that, shocked her.

Upon hearing her yell like that, Beck stopped, both of their breaths loud against the others. Beck felt sweat begin to form on his forehead, and he swallowed hard to get himself under control, "I'm sorry, Tor…do you want to stop?"

It seemed like such an odd question to ask while his finger was inside her, but the sensation was so great that it was hard for her to think straight. Scared to open her eyes, she only shook her head as her voice came out cracked, "No, just…don't go…"

She couldn't quite get the words she wanted out, but was glad when Beck seemed to understand regardless. He nodded his head against her before slowly pulling his finger out, only to stick it right back in.

Tori pulled in her lips to keep herself from moaning, though the sound still vibrated in her throat. Feeling Beck's finger going in and out of her was a completely different feeling than anything else she'd ever done before, and she had to wonder if this was what it was going to be like when they actually had sex. What he was doing right now wasn't painful…it was just new. Her body seemed to be getting used to it, however, when the feeling went from different to satisfying.

"You're getting wetter…" Beck said lowly in her ear, and it was only then that Tori could hear the soft, moist sound that was coming from below. She felt her face flush, but when she felt him slowly begin to stick two fingers in, her mouth opened wide.

"Beck, what are you…" she whispered, but then bit down on her bottom lip to suppress a groan as both of his fingers went all the way in. His fingertips seemed to be hitting a point that was causing her to believe that she had to pee really bad, but didn't want to voice this concern.

"Just relax," he told her gently, stopping all motion when he felt her tense again, "This will make it easier when we actually—."

"We're…we're gonna do it?" Tori asked breathlessly, her mind trying to wrap some sense around the words they were saying.

He laughed softly at her choice of words, "Maybe…I mean, if you want to? Just let me know, Tor…now that you're really mine, I'm not so sure I can stop as easily as I did before…"

_Now that you're really mine…_

The words sent a chill down her spine. Yes…she was allowed to do this with Beck now. They weren't being unfaithful to anyone. And yet…because she didn't receive the closure she needed, it didn't quite feel that way to Tori.

"What about…protection?" Tori asked shyly, feeling his fingers crook for a quick second that made her whimper compulsorily.

Beck looked slightly embarrassed, "I…I went out and bought some yesterday. I wasn't sure what was going to happen and didn't want to be unprepared…"

Tori looked at him with wide eyes, "You bought it without telling me…?"

"I didn't know I had to…" Beck confessed, wondering now if he should retract his fingers or if he should keep the game going, "If you still don't want to, Tori, we don't have to. Just because I bought condoms, doesn't mean we have to use them now."

"I…" Tori wasn't sure how to answer. But upon looking into his eyes, so loving and trusting, she instantly remembered why she loved him so much. Ever since that first night they spent together, the night she finally told him she loved him, her body and mind had been craving every bit of him. How they maintained any control that night was still beyond her. But now…now he was outright asking her if she wanted to go all the way. And she realized that, yes, she wanted to, and it was only her nerves that were causing her to hesitate. She was nervous because she knew it was going to happen; "I want to."

Beck smiled softly at her, leaning down to kiss her chastely on her lips, "I love you, Tori. Now just relax…it's all about you."

Tori swallowed and forced out a smile even though she was shaking like a leaf. Beck moved his lips down to her neck, kissing the tender spot by her ear as his fingers began working their magic.

Tori maintained her grip on his shoulders, her eyes staring up at the ceiling as she made herself focus on what he was doing it her. It felt really nice, especially when his fingertips hit a certain spot all the way in the back, and it was beginning to drive her insane waiting for him to push to that point every time he withdrew.

Licking her lips, she drew in a hollow breath as she relaxed her knees to the sides a bit more, "Can you…can you go a little faster?"

"Mmhmm," he quickly agreed, his fingers obliging her request. Her mouth opened wide as the sensation increased very quickly, and she literally felt her lashes flutter the few times her eyes rolled to the top of her head.

"Oh, Beck…wow, that feels…" She gasped loudly as she breathed in, her knees folding up as her body tried to help him get the perfect angle.

"Good," Beck groaned lowly against her neck. His hand shifted angles and before she knew it, his thumb was rolling around where he had previously pleasured her, yet it was a completely different feeling all over again. Having him focus on all parts of her down there made her skin go tight and her fingers clamp down on him.

"It's…it's too much!" She warned him though it only seemed to intensify his actions, as opposed to slowing him down. She even tried squeezing her knees against his body, but he seemed oblivious to everything except giving her the release she needed. It didn't take long for her to feel her walls clamp around his fingers, and having something inside her made her pay close attention to the actions her body went through during an orgasm.

"Wow…Beck…wow…_Beck!" _She felt a surge of energy flow up her body before she finally released her tension through a moan. She fluttered around his fingers, glad that he slowed down a bit or else she would have gone crazy.

When she finally felt like she could open her eyes, she saw Beck grinning down at her. Feeling a bit embarrassed after her outburst, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his head down to her, kissing him quickly to silently thank him for doing that to her.

He broke the kiss promptly, sliding his lips down her chest and to her stomach. He latched his fingers onto her dress that was still crumpled up around her waist, pulling it down her legs, "That should be more comfortable."

Tori offered a small smile, propping herself up on her elbows to look down at him, "Can I do something for you…?"

Beck sat back on his heels when he dropped the dress on the floor. He looked down at the beauty lying in just her underwear, her curls now a beautiful mess about her head. Tori's high cheekbones housed a vibrant scarlet, her lips parted slightly to release a few more heated breaths. Seeing all this, Beck's voice hitched in his throat, "You're already doing something…"

Tori giggled, biting her bottom lip and lowering her eyes from his. Seriously, if she got any more beautiful, Beck would come undone just looking at her.

"Come here," Beck offered his hand to her, pulling her up when she placed her own hand in his. She sat up on her knees as well, the couple coming face to face again. Beck ran a hand down her cheek, cupping it as he kissed her with a gentle passion, jerking only slightly when he felt her hands slide down his chest to his pants.

Tori got them unzipped fairly quickly, shimmying them down to his thighs. She then worked on doing the same to his boxers, her petite fingers then wrapping around his member. She giggled again when he groaned and shuddered against her. He kept trying to kiss her, but every time he got close, she would grasp onto him, causing another moan to escape. Finally, Tori pushed him back so he was now the one lying on his back.

"Didn't I say that this was all about you?" Beck joked, his arms reaching out for her, but then bending over his face when she continued stroking him.

"This should be about both of us," Tori told him, crawling up toward him.

"Yeah, but…" Beck chuckled, strain in his voice, "I won't be able to go much further if you keep that up…"

Tori smiled despite the comment, watching his face as her hand moved up and down, her mouth mimicking his every time he moaned. She knew that he wasn't lying, however, when she felt him twitch in her hand as a small amount of liquid escaped from him.

She licked her lips, her heart pounding out of her chest, "Where is it?"

Letting out a shaky breath, Beck reached into his pocket (which was almost down to his ankles by this point) and pulled out a small, square package. Holding it between his index and middle fingers, Tori took it in her own trembling hand.

"Hey…" Beck put his hand over top of hers, making her look at him, "I don't want you to be nervous…I want this to—."

"Beck," she stopped him, shaking her head, "it's my first time…I'm gonna be a little nervous. I'm just glad it's with you," she smiled, glad she got him to smile, too.

"You don't think we're moving too fast?" he asked uncertainly, rubbing his thumb over her fingers.

Tori's smile widened, "I think we're moving _way _too fast." Then she laughed. And he laughed, too. Because what else were two lovesick teenagers supposed to do when they knew that they should slow down a bit, but had no desire to? They were both eighteen, two consenting adults, living in a moment that they have both wanted since they first met. They didn't know what kind of drama and heartache awaited them in California, and this was their last chance to act like California and everything in it didn't exist.

So with that, Tori carefully ripped open the package to reveal the condom.

"You want me to do it?" Beck asked, holding out his hand already.

Swallowing, Tori nodded and decided to give it over, scared that she would mess something up if she attempted it. She watched reticently as he slid it onto himself with ease. He did it within a few seconds, grinning as he then reached up to her, flipping her over so he could once again be on top.

He kicked his feet to finally rid himself of his clothes, hovering over Tori, glad that she already positioned her body to help him sink against her.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw her looking up at him with eyes like diamonds, housing all the trust in the world for him. He already felt her fingers digging into his shoulders, so he positioned his hips just right to reduce her waiting anxiety.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Tori beat him to it, "Don't you dare ask if I'm sure. You know I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

Beck was shocked for a moment, but the feeling quickly turned into love and respect, "Got it. Ready?"

With a single nod, she felt Beck press right against her before quickly thrusting forward. And in one swift moment, her virginity was gone, he was a part of her, and it hurt like hell. They both gasped loudly, though for two very different reasons.96

"Are you okay?" Beck asked breathlessly, and he was obviously fighting to stay in control.

The pain was piercing, however, it was definitely not as bad as she had imagined it would be. From stories she's heard, she was expecting it to be unbearable. But no…this was very bearable. It was more like an exposed ache, yet with the right amount of pressure, it didn't feel so bad. Just looking up in his eyes, though…those soft brown eyes that were so full of worry and devotion and passion…made the emotional glory of the situation overcome the physical soreness.

"I'm fine," she answered with a strong smile, glad that he instantly believed her (or _had _to believe her) as he slowly pulled out, then sunk himself into her again.

She felt the dull sensation, but watching Beck was all the delight she needed. His hair was beginning to stick to his forehead as he continued his motions. Tori managed to loosen her grip on his shoulders to push some of his hair back. This not only helped relax her more, but it encouraged him to go a bit faster.

And as he continued to move within her, the more Tori began to feel the beginnings of sexual pleasure. Hearing him groan her name was also helping. The soft squeaking of the bed springs, Beck's heavy breaths, and the wet sound of their bodies meeting were all filling her senses. She began to feel her hips rise and fall with his, the fulfilling satisfaction of having their bodies move in sync overwhelming her.

"Oh, Tori…Tori, Tori, _Tori…_I don't know how much longer I can last…you're just so…" He groaned, each syllable seeming to match their rhythm.

"Uh-huh…" was the only comprehensible thing Tori could manage to get out, her arms tightly wrapped around him again. She was almost certain that she was not going to be having another orgasm; while she was beginning to feel the sweet sensitivity that came with good sex, her inner walls that were recently untouched were still facing a soreness that, she was sure, would not be so prevalent their next time around.

"Tori, I'm…" He gasped, his speed increasing drastically, and she could do nothing but hold onto him as he rode out his orgasm. Her skin tightened and her heart soared when she heard the beautiful moan in her ear as he reached his peak. His hips shook slightly as he thrust deeply into her a few more times before slowly coming to a halt.

Tori smiled against the side of his head as he all but went limp on top of her. She ran her right hand up and down his back as her left streamed through his damp hair that seemed to smell even better than usual.

"I love you," she told him, knowing her eyes were glowing when he propped himself up to look at her.

"Tori…I love you, too. Love you so much," he kissed her deeply, but had to keep it short as he was still trying to catch his breath. He rested his forehead back on her shoulder and she sighed contentedly. She couldn't have been happier. This was the perfect way to end their trip in Japan.

She thought back to when they first found out that they would be paired together; thought back to when they first arrived in Japan. She had _no _idea that anything would happen…she didn't think she would ever even get the chance to kiss him after she turned him down all those years ago…and to think about that, and then realize whose arms she was laying in, who she allowed to take her virginity…it was all too much. So much had changed within a few short weeks, and though they still had a lot to settle with their friends when they got back home, she regretted nothing.

()()()()()()()()()

O.O Whoa...like, whoa? Well...from the reviews I got from my last chapter, it was unanimous: everyone wanted this lol. And so many of you have been asking for this for so long, that I just couldn't avoid it any longer. Wanna know why it took my so long to get this chapter out, though? Because this was so damn hard to write. Seriously, I haven't attempted a sex scene since I was 15...10 years ago. Granted, I guess my experience has changed a lot since then, but it's still just as hard to write. Trying to get the right emotions involved with the physical act is difficult! This was, quite literally, the hardest thing I ever had to write haha! So I hope, despite this, that it wasn't too disappointing. Lemmie know!


	30. Home

**Final Project**

**XXIX.**

The rest of their time on the Jumbo Floating Restaurant went perfectly. After they cleaned themselves up and snuggled a bit longer in their room, they put their fancy clothes back on and went up to the top deck. It was well into the night by this time, so the restaurant turned on all its lights. Tori mentioned that she wished they had floating lanterns to go along with the evening. Luckily, the boat had a small gift shop that was still open, so Beck bought a lantern for each of them.

"Kinda reminds you of that night, huh?" Tori smiled over at Beck, holding the lantern gently between her hands as the restaurant floated slowly back to the middle of the river.

"The night you finally let me kiss you," Beck agreed, holding his lantern in a similar way.

Tori laughed softly, "Exactly…I know it was just…well, a few days ago really…but it almost feels like a lifetime ago…"

"That's cause we just got to Japan then," Beck reasoned (and Tori couldn't help but love the look Beck got when he was explaining something…with his eyebrows up high, his eyes shining, his lips curled just slightly), "And now we're about to leave."

Tori only sighed, which made Beck ask, "Sad about that?"

While half shrugging, or more like a shimmy of her shoulders, Tori replied: "Meh…I'm not sure, honestly. I love being here, but I'm kinda starting to miss…" she paused for a very long moment, her eyes averting from his to her lantern, "people."

Beck gave a short, breathy laugh, "It's okay to say you miss Andre, Tor."

She gave a guilty look, "Really?"

"Yeah!" He answered instantly, looking out at the water, "I mean, there's different ways of missing people, ya know? He's been your friend the longest, so it's only natural."

Tori bit her bottom lip gently, looking at the water also. It made her feel a bit awkward talking about Andre to Beck, but she really felt like she needed to let some of her feelings out. And since Beck seemed to be so understanding of that, she couldn't stop herself, "I wonder if he'll ever want to sing with me again. I mean, he's been all about his music career the whole time we were in high school, so he can't just drop the one person that helped him get so far, right?"

Beck only half nodded, "Maybe. You never know."

Tori continued, "And even when we _were _dating, it's not like we were all over each other when we were writing or performing a song. So it could still work, right?"

Beck glanced over at her, sensing her becoming a bit erratic, "Possibly…"

"And besides, we've had other big fights before and we somehow always made up without even trying. That's how it works with best friends, right? You're mad one second, then the next you're fine again, right?"

Beck started off slowly, "Right…true, but I think this time is a little different than—."

"Are you saying that he's never going to talk to me again?" She straight up asked, turning her body toward him with grave worry in her glistening eyes.

"Tor, I…" He turned toward her also. He really wanted to pull her into a hug at that moment, but that would mean they would have to let go of their lanterns. And it wasn't time yet. Their glowing lanterns were touching, two bright orbs standing in between them, "Andre's the only one that can give you the answers you need to hear, Sweetie. I can't speak for him."

Tori nodded, but her mind got caught up in his nickname for her. Sweetie. It was cute…she liked it when he called her that. She recalled all the times that Beck called Jade "Babe." That was her name for him. Then she thought about Andre's name for her. Baby Girl. He started calling her that instantly and it instantly stuck. She knew it was silly of her, but she wondered if the nickname was going to be the thing that she ended up missing the most.

She wondered if he would still call her that when…_if…_they spoke next.

"Tori?"

Tori snapped out of her thoughts when Beck said her name. She instantly dismissed the subject and turned toward the railing, holding her lantern up a bit higher, "Wish and release with me?"

"Of course," Beck grinned, mimicking her actions.

Tori closed her eyes, made a wish, then let go of her lantern, giving it an upward thrust. When she opened her eyes, she saw Beck did the same at the same time.

"What you wish you?" Tori asked.

Beck wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against him, "If I tell you, it might not come true."

She smiled up at him before looking to the sky to watch their lanterns float effortlessly in the night air, "Can I have a _teeny _detail?"

Beck pressed his lips to her hair before replying lowly, "It's about you."

Tori's smile faltered just a bit, but not enough for him to notice. She was glad when he didn't ask about her wish. Because her wish only involved Andre and forgiveness.

* * *

><p>The rest of their time in Japan was spent working on their project. They only had a few more days to perfect it, and they knew they wanted to get it right while they still could. They had a few days before they had to perform it when they got back, but they took jet lag into consideration, and didn't feel like trying to concentrate when they were super tired.<p>

Tori continued to leave her laptop open in hopes of that call from Andre…the call that still never came. She thought about trying to reach him a few times, but felt too nervous to do so. She wondered if Andre felt nervous, too, and that's why he didn't contact her. How dumb would that be?

Saturday morning came before they knew it. The morning their flight was scheduled. Shiori agreed to drive them back to the airport, since that was the place they first met. She got teary eyed on the drive there, and Tori had to hold her hand for most of the trip. But she was holding back a lot of tears as well. Shiori was quick to become a good friend…Tori was positive even a best friend. She wished Shiori could go to back to LA with them and become one of their crew.

If they even still had a crew when they got back…

"Guess this is it," Shiori announced sadly as she stopped at the baggage gates. It really sucks that people can't wait at the terminal with you anymore.

Tori gave a small smile, "You have my e-mail and number?"

Shiori nodded, "And you have mine?"

Tori nodded this time, "Sure do. I'll keep in touch."

Shiori chuckled softly, "I hope you're not just saying that like most people do."

Tori frowned a bit, rubbed Shiori's shoulder comfortingly, then pulled her foreign friend into a tight hug, "I'll miss you too much for that."

Shiori's hug was like a vise grip around Tori's small frame, but she endured it to make Shiori feel better.

"Come here, you!" Shiori yelled at Beck as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a group hug, "You guys still better invite me to the wedding."

"You'll be the first to know," Tori reassured her, and she didn't feel like she was lying. Shiori was the one that watched them go from friends to lovers, and Tori couldn't imagine Shiori _not _being the first person she would call to tell the news.

"Good. Okay, well, I love you guys! Have a safe trip back to the states!" Shiori said as she let them go.

"We'll let you know when we land," Beck told her, grinning as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend to comfort her after her lack of contact with Shiori.

Shiori nodded briefly, wiped her eyes quickly, then turned on her heel while throwing a peace sign of her shoulder, "_Ja ne!"_

_"Ja ne!" _The couple yelled back, getting a few odd looks from people due to their obvious American accent.

Tori inhaled and exhaled deeply as she watched Shiori walk away, "I already miss her…"

"Well, hey, at least you have the red-headed version of her at home, right?"

Tori giggled and kissed his cheek, "True."

* * *

><p>Tori was glad she remembered to buy sleep-aid pills before they took off. Granted, she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before again…she just couldn't stop thinking and worrying about the reunion with her friends when she got home. When she first left for Japan, she didn't think she would be feeling this way at all. It was supposed to be a joyous event…they were all supposed to go to Kara<em>OKAAAAY <em>together for a night of fun, eat some Sushi, go to a late movie, celebrate their graduation…

Who knew what was going to happen now. She imagined that poor Cat and Robbie would get stuck in the middle as Jade will probably make them choose between hanging out with her and Andre over Tori and Beck. And once Jade gets into Cat's head and makes her realize what "terrible human beings" Tori and Beck are for cheating, Cat could very well choose Jade's side. And if she does, Robbie might also. Does that mean she'll be losing everyone?

She looked over at Beck who was sitting next to her on the plane. He already had the neck pillow around his neck with his eyes closed. The plan was for both of them to sleep the whole ride to avoid boredom, but Tori just couldn't get her mind to shut down long enough to pass out.

It was going to be a rough week…

* * *

><p>"Beck. Beck!" Tori said his name, shaking his shoulder a bit roughly.<p>

"Hmm, what?" Beck groggily replied, lifting his head up and blinking his eyes at the bright lights.

"We're home," Tori informed him.

"Already?" Beck stuck the bottom of his palm in his eyes in an attempt to wake up.

"_You _slept the whole trip this time," Tori told him with a small grin.

"You mean you didn't?"

"Eh, on and off."

"Even with the sleeping pills?"

Tori shrugged as she tried to smooth out her hair, as it got a bit messed up and tangled from her seat, "Couldn't really stop worrying…"

"Ah…" Beck nodded his head up, wishing he could tell her that she didn't have anything to worry about. But he knew what she was worried about, so, truth-be-told, she kind of _did _have something to worry about.

Tori was almost glad he didn't try to make her feel better, because it would have just made her feel worse when it didn't work. They remained silent for the rest of the landing, only listening to the pilot speaking as they unbuckled themselves and grabbed their carryon luggage.

As they stepped off the plane and into familiar territory, she finally spoke, "Are we gonna grab a cab back to—."

"Tori! Over here!" Tori heard the recognizable voice calling her name and shot her head to the left to see her mom standing there waving excitedly.

Tori smiled promptly, "Mom!" She ran as fast as her tired legs could carry her before throwing her arms around her, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too, Honey!" Holly said as she wrapped her daughter up in a big hug, "I wanted to surprise you by picking you up. Hope you didn't have someone else getting you?"

Tori shook her head, "Don't think so. Did you, Beck?" She asked as she turned toward him.

Beck shook his head as well, "I'm not even sure who's all back yet."

"Okay, good. I'll drive you both home, then," Holly offered, giving Beck a quick, friendly hug as well.

They gathered up the rest of their luggage at the conveyor belt before heading out into the California sun. Tori breathed in deeply, having missed the smell of her hometown. She was glad her mother came to pick them up…Tori still felt like she didn't know what to say to Beck now, and riding in the back of a cab with him would have felt awkward. She really hated feeling this way, but now that they weren't in Japan…the place that brought them together…she wasn't sure how to act.

She hoped it wouldn't last.

"So…tell me all about Japan!" Holly requested as soon as she started the car. Tori sat in the passenger seat while Beck sat in the back behind Holly.

Tori sighed deeply in thought, "Wow…I don't even know where to begin…"

"It was definitely flashy," Beck chimed in.

"Yes! And, oh, Mom, we met the coolest girl there named Shiori. She's super talented…she even got a record deal while we were there and I recorded a track with her!" Tori rushed her words excitedly, just then realizing that this was the first time she was able to brag about it. Everyone else that knew, which only included Andre and Beck, were there when she found out.

Holly's eyes widened a bit, "Really? Guess we're gonna have to buy a Japanese CD when it gets released."

Tori laughed "Yeah…oh! And I got to sing at this really cool club called Club Dragon and everyone loved me!"

"Don't they always?" Holly grinned, patting Tori on the knee, "Still, I thought this trip was about _seeing _Japan, not performing and getting record deals."

"I'll have to show you pictures when we get home. It'll be easier to start from there," Tori bounced a bit in her seat, feeling truly excited to show both of her parents her adventure. She happened to spot Beck from the corner of her eye and turned her head to look back at him. He was smiling softly at her, and she returned it, though she saw the question in his eyes. Was she going to tell her mother already about them? Tori didn't give Beck a nonverbal answer.

Because…as it stood…Tori wasn't sure how her mom was going to take the news. Would she be ashamed of her daughter for cheating? Tori knew that Holly had a soft spot for Andre, and that spot kept increasing the longer their relationship went on. Tori also knew that her mother would support her decision (because it was, after all, _Tori's _decision who she dated), but she still worried about how the conversation would go.

Great…another thing to worry about.

For the rest of the drive, Holly made small talk about what's been going on in LA since they've been gone. Tori listened attentively, but still couldn't help but stare at Beck from her peripheral vision the whole time. She was sure he felt her uneasiness and was no doubt wondering what her next move was going to be. Tori almost felt like they were back at the beginning of the game…

Holly stopped the car when she pulled up next to Beck's RV.

"Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Vega," Beck said gratefully, grabbing one of his bags and jumping out of the car.

"I'll help you carry your stuff in," Tori said, jumping out a bit quicker than was needed, "Be right back, Mom."

"No problem," she said, pulling out her cell phone and giggling like a high school girl as she read a text message.

Tori learned a long time ago to ignore that, so she just went to the trunk and grabbed one of Beck's bags as he grabbed the other. They walked over to his RV, Beck unlocked the door and stepped inside, Tori dragging the bag up with her.

Setting his bag in the corner, she didn't go any further than the top of the stairs, "Okay, well…I'll talk to you later, kay?"

"Tori, wait," Beck stopped her just as she was turning to head back to the car.

Tori stopped, but shifted uncomfortably, which didn't go unnoticed by Beck. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "What's going on, Tori? You've been acting weird since we landed."

Biting her bottom lip, her fingers began fidgeting around themselves, "It's nothing, it's just…weird being back, ya know?"

"To be honest…I'm not really sure what you mean, but it sure is making _me _feel weird," Beck confessed, "I mean, I'm not even sure if I should kiss you goodbye right now."

These words stung, but she knew it was her fault. Closing her eyes, her shoulders slumped, "I'm just really scared about what's going to happen with our friends is all…"

When she opened her eyes, Beck was staring at her curiously, "Are you _sure _that's all, Tor?"

She gathered all her strength to flash him the smile he needed to see, "I'm positive. But…things will work out one way or the other, right?"

For the first time since she's asked, Beck finally agreed, just to be on the safe side, "Right."

"Good," Tori took the few steps forward to reach him, bringing her lips to his in a sweet kiss. He kissed her back eagerly, his hand pressing into her lower back.

"God, I'm gonna miss spending every night with you…" he murmured against her lips, giving her small, short kisses in between, "You think you can come over tonight?"

With this question, she brought her hands up to lay flat on his chest, pushing just enough to make a small distance between them, "Beck, I'm not sure if—."

"Right, right…I'm sorry for asking," he apologized sincerely, kissing her again, "Call me though?"

"I will…which reminds me, gotta tell Shiori we made it," Tori chuckled, gave Beck another kiss, then turned toward the door, "Say hi to your parents for me."

"Will do…" Beck said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he watched her leave.

And as Tori shut the door to his RV, she couldn't help but feel terrible about lying to him. No, being scared of her friends' reactions was _not _all that was on her mind. Truth was, Japan was already beginning to feel like a dream to her, and she didn't know how to handle her new-found relationship _out_ of Japan.

When she hopped back into the car, Holly put her phone down and looked over at her daughter. She instantly saw the distraught look on her face.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Tori slowly looked over to her, her mind too busy to even cry, "I need your help, Mom…"

()()()()()()()()()

Hey everyone! Okay, before I begin on AN, I gotta answer a question a reviewer asked a few chapters back that I kept forgetting to answer. She asked how I knew so much about Japan. I was stationed there when I was in the navy.

Now...onto other matters. Are you guys feeling a bit nervous about where I'm going with this? Or are you liking the buildup for drama? Either way, I'm not sure if I should tell you to be worried or not. You may be asking...why is Tori acting like this? Why is she acting all indecisive-like again? While her actions may be annoying you, I can't help but write her this way right now. It feels the most realistic to me. I'm not taking the easy road, people!

I just got done watching "The Bad Roommate" a few hours ago. Okay, I just can't help it, but ever since "Berry Balls" I started liking Andre a lot...and that hasn't happened since the very beginning of the series. But seeing this latest episode helped me get some insight into how he reacts when he's mad. At Tori especially, which is *very* helpful. This is just to say that...I'm kinda on Andre's side right now lol.

I also need to tell you guys that school starts again Monday. Where the hell did break go? I meant to write 3x more than I did, and it makes me feel icky that I didn't. I'm taking 18 credit hours this semester though, 3 more than I took during the fall. Which means busy, busy, busy. When will I update next? Wish I could tell ya.

I think this was all I needed to say...I hope so. If not, I'm not sure when I'll get another chance. I do want to throw out many thank yous to my approximately 30 very supportive reviewers, the 200 people that have this story on their Favs list, and the 298 people who are following. Every one of you is super spectacular! ;)


	31. Andre's New Girl?

**Final Project**

**XXX.**

"…and then we kissed without even thinking and…Andre caught us…"

Tori and her mom were sitting side by side on the couch, and though Tori wanted, more than anything, to not talk about this with her mother and just show her pictures of her trip, she couldn't help but finally talk to someone about this.

Holly stared at her, mouth slightly agape, having not expected to hear anything like this come out of her daughter's mouth (well…if it was Trina, she wouldn't be so shocked).

When Holly didn't say anything, however, Tori couldn't stand the silence and had to continue talking, "And I haven't talked to him since. I've been waiting for him to try to reach me, but…" she trailed off again, her hands shifting nervously together. She honestly didn't know what else there was to tell.

But when Holly still didn't answer, just kept staring at her like she was…well, not _her, _Tori threw her hands up in frustration, "Mom, please say something!"

Holly finally closed her mouth and scratched the side of her head with uncertainty, "I'm sorry, Tori, I'm just…_shocked! _I really thought you loved Andre."

"I do!" Tori contradicted quickly, leaning toward her mom with desperation in her eyes, "I mean…like, as a friend I love him."

"So you dated him for two years and only love him as a friend?"

Tori could hear the accusing tone in her mother's voice and almost snapped. She was her _mother! _This was stuff she would maybe expect Cat or Robbie to say, but to hear her own mother throw her own words in her face was almost too much to take. Then again…her mother was always like that. She always acted more as a friend toward herself and Trina than a mother. It was just how she was.

Holly, however, did feel horrible when she watched her daughter slump against the back of the couch and breathe in a harsh breath. And for once, she really wished she had the skill to say the right thing at the right time. She wanted to pull Tori in for a tight embrace and tell her that everything will be okay and that she did nothing wrong.

But instead, she just rested a hand on Tori's shoulder, "Honey…what do you want me to say?"

Tori closed her eyes to try to reclaim herself. She could tell her mom was trying and didn't want to stop now after everything she just explained, "Was I wrong? To cheat….even though the way I feel about Beck is…so…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

Holly pulled in her lips as she tried rubbing Tori's shoulder sympathetically. She hated seeing her favorite daughter in so much turmoil…so much so that she was almost inclined to tell Tori her own secret. But thinking about Gary…and how she promised her husband's co-worker that she wouldn't tell _anyone…_fear overtook the need to help Tori. What kind of mother would she be to tell her daughter that she was screwing around behind her father's back? Besides…they only hooked up every once in awhile. And after all this time, they never got caught…

No. Holly Vega couldn't risk that now.

"Tori…if you want to be with Beck and feel that it's not wrong…then it's not."

Opening her eyes, Tori's eyes almost begged her to give her a better answer than that, "Mom…cheating is wrong, no matter how you look at it. I know that, it's just…I'm so happy with Beck, but I feel like I don't deserve it because of how I made Andre feel."

Holly swallowed, suddenly feeling very trapped, "Then it seems like the only person that can help you through this is Andre." She said before quickly standing up, "Hey, did you miss pizza? Let's order a pizza." She quickly pulled out her phone and walked away as she dialed.

Tori could do nothing but watch her mom avoid the subject…but it was okay, because their conversations usually always ended this way.

She didn't have time to dwell on it too long, however, as her phone that was sitting on the coffee table began vibrating. She picked it up a little too fast…a little too hopefully…but when she looked at who the texter was, she saw that it was just Cat.

**Cat: Heeeyyy! I made it home! My brother filled my room with uncooked bacon!**

Tori ignored the second part of the text as she responded.

**Tori: Can I come over? Need to talk.**

**Cat: It looks like there's a million tongues in my room.**

Guessing that that meant that Cat didn't want her to come over, Tori quickly replied.

**Tori: Can you come over here then? ANYWHERE! Please, Cat!**

**Cat: Sure, I'll ask Robbie to drive me.**

Tori almost told her to come alone. But she understood that Cat didn't exactly live close to her and always depended on someone to drive her, so she accepted it at that.

"Cat and Robbie are coming over," she told her mom.

Holly was already on the phone, so told the pizza guy to make it two pizzas instead.

It took Cat and Robbie about forty minutes to arrive at Tori's house. Forty minutes of torture. Tori didn't know what to do during that time. She knew she couldn't text Andre or Jade, and she didn't want to tell Beck that she was about to talk to Cat and Robbie (she wasn't sure why she didn't want him to know). Holly had retreated upstairs, and the TV seemed unappealing.

So when the doorbell rang and Tori opened the door to find a beautiful, bubbly redhead, she all but pulled the tiny girl against her, "Oh, Cat, I've never been so happy to see you!"

Cat gasped against the hug, "_Never?!" _

"Hey, Tori," Robbie smiled, albeit shyly, because he no doubt knew what kind of conversation was going to occur.

Tori offered a small smile as well, "Hey, Robbie…" and she actually considered asking him if he minded leaving so she could talk with Cat alone, but then thought better of it. He was still one of her closest friends and figured the more friends she could talk to, the easier it would be to get by.

After she closed the door behind them, her hands immediately started their nervous habit, "So, umm….do you guys know if Jade or Andre are home yet?"

"I know Jade is," Cat said, bouncing on the couch as she took a seat.

"I can check if Andre is," Robbie offered, already texting away on his phone.

Tori was about to stop him, but then let it go. She wanted to know too badly to decline. She flopped down on the other couch, resting her elbow over the back to face them, "Guys…I feel icky…"

Cat giggled, though she looked a bit ashamed for doing so, "Should we start calling you 'Icky Vicky'?"

Tori's mouth twisted with slight disgust involuntarily, letting her head flop onto her arm.

Robbie placed a gentle hand over Cat's, "I think she needs us to help her feel better, not encourage appropriate nicknames."

"Appropriate!?" Tori exclaimed, sounding more surprised than upset.

Cat rested her hand over Robbie's now, giving a much too serious look, "You're right, Robbie. We need to tell her that everything bad she did was good."

Tori groaned, "_Guuuys, _I'm right here, ya know? Shouldn't you have discussed these sort of details on the ride over here?"

"Tori...Tori," Cat repeated, reaching across the small gap between couches to pat Tori's leg, "There's nothing wrong with what you did. You did what you had to do." Tori noticed that Cat was talking like a robot, or like she was repeating lines from a script that she was told to memorize on the way over.

Tori was beginning to regret telling her to come over. But, well…she didn't know who else to talk to. Her mom wasn't any help, Cat was offering little advice, Trina wouldn't be any better, and Jade was definitely out of the picture.

Robbie saw the look of helplessness on Tori's face, so began slowly, "I think the only person that can help you is Andre…"

Tori groaned loudly, "Why is everyone saying that?!"

"I didn't say it…" Cat said despondently.

"No, but Beck did, and my mom, and now Robbie!"

"Three's a charm. Must be true then," Robbie said.

"Ugh, but Andre won't even talk to me!" Tori flung her back against the couch, slowly sinking down until she was slouching halfway off.

"You just have to corner him and _force _him to listen," Robbie suggested with misplaced passion.

When Tori only stared at him like he was crazy, Cat slowly inputted: "One time, my brother tried to force two turtles to do something…"

Tori merely raised an eyebrow, but Robbie had to ask, "You mean, like, he forced them to fight?"

Cat shook her head, "It didn't look like they were fighting to me…"

Before Cat could continue on any further, Tori quickly asked Robbie, "Did Andre text you back?"

Robbie checked his phone, "Nope. However…he did update his Slap status."

"What's it say?" Tori asked, leaning closer.

"It says, 'Made it home. Chillin' with my new girl'."

Tori felt the blood drain from her face, "W-what?"

Robbie cleared his throat, "I said, it says, 'Made it—."

"I heard you!" Tori yelled, her voice coming out louder than she anticipated.

Hearing her outburst made Cat and Robbie both stay quiet as they folded their hands in their lap. Cat kept peaking at Tori from behind her hair as she tried not to reveal that she was taking in every single one of Tori's facial expressions, which went from shock, to angry, to hurt, then back to shock.

"Gimmie that!" Tori snatched Robbie's phone away from him.

"Hey, you have your own phone, ya know!"

Tori quickly read Andre's status, her head trying to make sense of the words. She went to his page, scrolling through his photos to see if he posted anything new. There was nothing. So she resorted to texting him through Robbie's phone.

**Robbie: Yo Bro! Why no answer?**

As soon as she hit send, Robbie was able to snatch his phone back. He read what Tori sent, scrunching up his face in confusion, "Okay, he's never going to believe that that was _me _who sent that!"

As soon as he said that, however, his phone chimed to indicate he received a message. Tori quickly grabbed the device again before Robbie could read it.

**Andre: Sorry, Rob. Busy unpacking. What's up?**

Tori couldn't help but read the message aloud anyway, causing Robbie to throw up his hands in exasperation. Cat gave him a knowing look, causing Robbie to sigh, "_So what_ if I try to come up with cool phrases to say in text!"

Tori felt horrible for pretending to be Robbie all of a sudden, but couldn't stop herself.

**Robbie: I saw your update! Who's the new senorita?**

Tori stood up as she typed, not being able to sit still. Her stomach was making her feel like she was ready to throw up any second.

**Andre: Tell you about it later.**

"Really?!" Tori exclaimed, throwing the phone back at Robbie. Robbie barely caught it, patting Cat on the back when she covered her head in fear of getting hit. Tori tangled her fingers in her hair, "Robbie, you need to go over there and see—."

Robbie stood up quickly, "Tori, listen, I'm just gonna say this right now…I'm not gonna spy on Andre for you." He held his hands up over his face like he was afraid she would attack him.

Tori stared at him like he lost his mind, "What! I wasn't going to ask you to—," she cut herself off when she realized that _that _was exactly what she was going to ask him to do. Sighing loudly, Tori covered her face and turned away, "You're right, I'm sorry, Robbie…"

Robbie slowly lowered his arms when he saw that it was safe, "Hey, look on the bright side. You'll be able to see who it is Monday at school."

"Yeah, _unless _she doesn't even go to our school!"

"…You saying that he brought her over here from Argentina?"

Tori uncovered her eyes and looked at him strangely, "I didn't even think about that…"

Suddenly, Cat chimed in, "Get over it like I did."

Tori and Robbie shot their eyes to Cat, who was staring up at them innocently.

"Get over what like you did?" Tori asked.

"That's what Andre said."

Tori narrowed her eyebrows, "When?"

"Just now."

When Tori just stared at the shorter girl blankly, Cat sighed heavily, like she had to explain a simple concept to an idiot. Cat held up her phone as she read, "I said 'Andre, Tori wants to talk to you,' and he said, 'Why?' so I said, 'She doesn't seem to like you hanging out with a new girl,' and then he said, 'Tell her to get over it like I did.' So I told you."

Tori eyes were nearly bulging out of her head, "Oh, Cat, say you didn't…!"

"You didn't."

Tori didn't even bother to respond. She bent over the back of the couch and hid her face in the cushions. She wondered if she would be able to suffocate herself. She already felt like she was, so she might as well finish the job, right? She couldn't believe she actually thought that calling Cat and Robbie over would help her any. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be helped. Maybe she was supposed to live unhelped for the rest of her life.

When it became apparent that she wasn't going to move her face from the cushion, Cat continued on slowly at first, "…Okay, so I said, 'I told her,' and he said, 'Why doesn't _she _text me if she wants to know so bad?' and I said, 'I dunno, want me to ask her?' and he said, 'No'."

Tori's loud groan got muffled into the cushion.

"So what're you going to do?" Robbie asked.

Tori didn't know, but knew she had to figure it out soon.

()()()()()()()()()()

Hi, everyone! Taking a time out again to give my lil AN here...

First off, sorry Beck didn't make an appearance in this chapter (which means no Bori), but I know a lot of you were asking for a Cat and/or Robbie chapter for quite awhile, so I figured I should finally put one in. Since I really didn't write their characters too much before, how do you feel I did?

Okay, so about "Brain Squeezers." Gotta be honest, didn't much care for the episode. The only part that really got me to laugh was when Tori's all like, "No, no, no, no, NO!" and Beck's like, "Wow, never got told that by a girl before." Haha, funny one-liner, Beck!

I think that's all I got this time. And remember, if you would like to see me write anything specific, please ask. Even if I don't get to it right away, it sometimes helps get my thoughts going. Thanks!

-Enula


	32. Rekindling

_Warning: This chapter contains sexual content. You have been warned._**  
><strong>

**Final Project**

**XXXI.**

Beck waited for her to call. All he wanted to do was sleep. He did feel slightly tired, but since he slept the whole plane ride home, the feeling wasn't strong enough to overcome the anxiety he was experiencing about the whole him and Tori situation. Even the thought of calling or texting her right now was too much. Did she just need space? Was she going to be like this until she got the closure she needed?

It sucked to think that, because closure was unknown. Breaking up with someone is one thing, but cheating on them is another. He doubted Andre was going to forgive Tori any time soon.

And that…that could possibly destroy everything.

So, while lying on his back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, Beck could think of nothing else to do except check status updates on The Slap and maybe make his own. The first one he noticed was Jade's.

**Jade: Shoulda stayed in England.**

Guess she made it home okay. He then noticed Andre's.

**Andre: Made it home. Chillin' with my new girl.**

Well _this _was interesting! Andre has a new girl already? For some reason, the first girl to come to mind was Jade. He remembered Tori telling him about Andre having a crush of Jade a few years back, and wondered if the feelings resurfaced. Beck didn't think he would be very surprised if this turned out to be true. After all, they were both going through the same predicament right now, so why wouldn't they turn to each other? Even if just to bash the new couple.

He then wondered how Tori was taking this news. Did she even know yet? Beck figured this was a good starter question to get her to talk to him.

**Beck: Hey, Beautiful. You see Andre's latest update?**

It only took her a moment to respond.

**Tori: Unfortunately.**

What kind of answer what that? If anything, he thought that maybe this would make it easier for Tori. Andre wasn't hurting anymore…or, at least, not so much where he couldn't move on. And if Andre was truly happy in this mysterious relationship, why wasn't Tori happy?

**Beck: You're starting to really confuse me. Can you please come back over, Tor? I'll come pick you up.**

He laid his phone on his chest and closed his eyes. He could tell he had his work cut out for him. But Tori was worth it. She's always been worth it. He just needs to make her see that, and hope she feels the same way about him.

Getting curious as to who this mystery girl was, Beck picked up his phone to scroll through Andre's page. Pictures? No. Any girls leaving him cutesy messages? No. What was weirdest was that he didn't change his relationship status from "In a relationship with **Tori Vega.**"

And Beck knew for a fact that if it _was _Jade he all of a sudden hooked up with…she would have demanded he change that instantly. Speaking of which...Beck then went to Jade's page to see if she said anything that would match up to what Andre posted.

But her status still said single and besides posting a few photos of her England trip, there was nothing special.

Beck then realized that some minutes have passed with no response from Tori. Was she avoiding his question?

**Beck: Tori?**

**Tori: Cat and Robbie are over right now. I'll have them drop me off at your place when they leave.**

Well…not exactly the answer he wanted, but at least she was coming over. He put his phone down on his bedside table and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>It took about another hour for Tori to feel like she could leave her house. She wasn't sure how she was feeling and didn't really want to talk about anything, but she knew she had to go see Beck. He was obviously confused about everything since they arrived back home, and she couldn't blame him. So when she felt that she couldn't delay any longer, she asked Cat and Robbie to give her a ride.<p>

They were only driving for a few minutes before Tori asked if they could take her to Andre's place first. Robbie did as she asked, but as soon as Tori saw Andre's car in the driveway, she instantly changed her mind and told Robbie to take her to Beck's place.

She hated how she had been chickening out with everything dealing with Andre recently. First, it was not sleeping with him before she left for Japan. Then, it was not telling him about her and Beck. And now…she couldn't even find the courage inside of her to knock on his door and congratulate him on his new relationship.

The close bond that they once upon a time shared would never be the same…and will probably be forever nonexistent now. But it was from choices she made, and life was too short to regret what has already been done.

When Robbie pulled up to Beck's RV, Tori only mumbled a small "thank you" before exiting the car. She tried to smile at Cat as the red-head told her to call her if she needed anything, but Tori knew that Cat had already done enough.

Tori knocked on the door before gripping her large purse in front of her in an almost self-conscious pose. She waited a few seconds, but when there was no answer, she knocked again, rocking on her heels anxiously. When Beck still didn't answer, she tried the handle and found that it was unlocked.

"Hello? Beck?" She called out as she cracked the door open. She felt weird about just entering without him letting her in, but well…he was the one that asked her to come over.

When he didn't answer, she opened the door a bit wider, only then hearing the soft sound of water spraying coming from the bathroom. He was taking a shower. Assuming that he left the door unlocked for her, she stepped in and closed the door behind her, feeling slightly out of place as she stood there awkwardly.

It reminded her of the time she first came to his place when Jade asked her to get Beck back for her. To this day, Tori still had no idea why Jade would trust _her _to do something like that. If Jade was so worried about Tori stealing her boyfriend, why would she send her to his RV?

Tori remembered how Beck invited her in, then plopped himself down on his bed as she continued to stand near the door. She got that the whole RV was "his house" but it truly felt like she was standing in a boy's bedroom.

The only other time she recalled being in his place was when they all decided to go to the beach and got trapped in there. But now…now was completely different. They were a couple now. And they had practically lived in each other's hotel rooms in Japan, so the smallness was not a big deal.

She dropped her bag and slowly walked over to his bed, sitting down on it like she was sure alarms were going to go off. As soon as she sunk down, however, Beck's phone vibrated on his side table, causing her to jump from the sudden noise.

The phone stayed lit up for a few seconds from the text message, and Tori couldn't help but lean over to see that it was from Andre.

_Andre…what's he doing texting Beck? _She thought to herself, and wanted so badly to press a soft finger on the accept button. But that would be like snooping, wouldn't it? And she learned a long time ago that snooping through a guy's phone is not a good way to start a relationship.

Her chance was lost when the phone went black (so she would have to press at least two buttons to get to the message now) and the water shut off.

She sat up straight with her hands in her lap, wondering if Beck was expecting to see her sitting there when he came out. It only took him a moment to exit from the bathroom, steam pouring out behind him. He was still dripping wet with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He smiled at her when he saw her, "Hey. Thought I heard you come in."

Tori laughed shortly, "Heh…yeah, sorry…door was unlocked."

"Don't be sorry," he told her quickly, going over to his dresser and taking out a shirt. He didn't put it on, but hung it over a chair, "I kept it unlocked for you."

"Good thing no one came before me then," she tried to joke, her hands becoming sweaty just from looking at him.

Beck chuckled, "Well, if it was Jade, I know a locked door wouldn't keep her out anyway."

Tori tried to force a smile, though it was hard when the statement was nowhere near amusing. Beck noticed this and promptly sat next to her, Tori's shifting not going unnoticed by him.

"Tori…what's wrong?"

She only glanced over at him before looking down at her hands, "You're getting your bed soaked."

"It'll dry," he stated plainly to dismiss something that was so very unimportant, especially right now. When she still wouldn't look at him, he touched his finger to her chin and turned her face toward him. He saw the troubled expression in her eyes and his immediately softened, his hand then cupping her cheek, "Talk to me."

Tori wanted to back away, to close her eyes, to cry, to say that she had to go, but…she came here for a reason. And it wasn't just because Beck asked her, but because she knew she had to see him. She had to remember why she caused all this drama that was going on in the first place. And being here with him like this made her instantly remember…because she loved him. Because she loved him for as long as she could recall and wanted to feel the realness of actually having him as her own. This wasn't a dream world in Japan. This was her life…right here in her hometown, right here in his own place.

She leaned toward him and touched their lips together, her heart beating as rapidly as the first time they kissed a month ago. It was almost weird how she felt like they were starting all over again just because they were physically in a different location. But at the moment, she was enjoying these flutter sensations, especially when he pulled her tighter against him and she felt his warm, wet skin sink through her clothes.

Tori finally untangled her hands apart and snaked them around his shoulders, moaning softly when he lowered her to the bed as they held onto each other like they depended on it. His fingers tickled down her sides before reaching her jeans, undoing the button and the zipper with ease. And then, she had no idea where her nervousness went, and all she wanted to do was feel him against her.

A sharp, tingling sensation that began in her abdomen caused her to reach down and help him in the removal of her jeans, and her stomach tightened in anticipation when she felt that he was already hard and pressing against her leg.

His lips ripped away from hers as he sat up to reach behind him and take off her shoes so he could pull at the ankles of her pants. She sat up quickly, grabbing her shirt and tossing it over her head, her mouth already open when Beck crashed his lips onto hers again, succumbing to using his feet (along with hers) to free her legs of her jeans.

He pushed her back down, his mouth gliding down to her neck where he sucked and nipped at her, small whimpers of desire escaping from her throat. She was thankful that her underwear had slid down most of the way with her pants and she only had to kick her feet a few times to be rid of them.

If this moment was going any slower, she would probably stop and wonder where this sudden passion came from. But her body was craving him in a way she never thought possible and she didn't think there was any way to ignore it.

His assault on her neck as well as the low groans that were emitting from his throat only enhanced her desire even more, and her legs wrapped around his waist to feel him against her.

Tori felt what was equivalent to a strong burn…she literally felt herself throbbing and when she felt him right at her entrance, her whirling mind couldn't even be shocked when she raised her hips to have him slip into of her with surprising ease.

They both yelled out at the fulfillment, and Tori was having a hard time wrapping her head around how completely different this felt from their first time. Not just because she no longer had to worry about losing her virginity, but the raw passion that surrounded them. Their first time seemed so planned and…well, not the best. But now…she couldn't even remember what she was thinking about before they started this but it felt so damn good to just forget about everything else and let her stress be relieved through this act.

Beck sank deeply into her, murmuring about how crazy wet she was before pulling out with a teasingly painful slowness, before pressing himself into her once again.

When he tried to rise again, her hips followed his, her body not willing to let him go. Her heels dug into his lower back to press into her deeper when they sank into the bed, and it was only a matter of seconds before they picked up a strong, steady rhythm with each other that was driving them both mad.

Tori couldn't even help but scream her moans at the greatest sensations she ever felt, her head tossing back in pure ecstasy. Beck tried to mumble his loud moans in her neck, his teeth still scraping across her skin to make her go even wilder.

Then, somehow, it finally clicked in her head why it felt so different.

"Beck, a condom!" She gasped out, wondering how in the world she didn't think about it until now. They had spent their whole time in Japan obsessing over not having condoms, then they just randomly decide to say _screw it?_

"Shit…" Beck groaned as he at once stopped moving to reach over to his side table and open the drawer to grab a condom he blindly reached for.

Once he held it in his hand, Tori brought his lips back down to hers and continued to move her hips, relishing at how crazy she was driving him. He let her have her way for a few more moments before sitting up abruptly so he could rip the package open without screwing up and ripping everything.

When he pulled out of her, they both yelled again, this time from lack of fulfillment, but it only took him a few seconds to slide it on before he was once again inside of her.

"You're so beautiful…" he murmured as he lowered his elbows on either side of her, loving how her hair became a beautiful mess over his pillows and her eyes burned a bright amber color that he was sure no one else had ever seen before.

She smiled shyly at the comment before lowering his head to hers to kiss her thank you on his lips.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, Tori spent the rest of the weekend at Beck's, because she didn't feel like she had anything to go home to. Her dad was always at work, her mom was probably still randomly disappearing at weird times, and Trina was at college.<p>

Still, Monday came before she knew it and she felt anxious all over again about having to finally face everyone at school.

"Everything will be fine," Beck tried to reassure her as they were getting ready in the morning, "The worst that can happen is they ignore us, right? …Or would that be the best?"

Tori wasn't sure, either, so left the question unanswered. She checked herself in the mirror, feeling worried about the huge hickey Beck accidently left on her neck. She put on a dark purple jacket that looked trendy to have the collar popped up, so it was only noticeable from a certain angle.

As they drove to school, Beck tried to keep her talking by bringing up their final project and when Helen will have them perform it. Tori was thankful for the slight distraction, but felt her whole body tense again as soon as she saw the Hollywood Arts sign.

When Beck parked his car, he looked over at her and grabbed her hand, "You ready?"

Tori took in a deep breath before replying, "Let's just get this over with."

Thank God there was only a week left of high school.

()()()()()()()()()

And so...begins the drama! Dun dun DUN! Jade and Andre will be making appearances in the next chapter (I'm assuming...haven't written it yet, but if everything goes as planned, I don't see why they would be absent), so the moment you've all been waiting for is almost here. You've been waiting for the high school drama, right?

Okay, so now on to some other matters. Some of you have expressed some concern over my newest story "Normal is Boring," which happens to be a Tandre. That story will in NO WAY effect this story, which is Bori Bori Bori, okay? So don't think that just because I also like Tandre that I don't like Bori anymore...and I know that's slightly weird, but that's how my fangirl mind is acting. Thank you to some of my "Final Project" readers/reviewers who also read/reviewed "Normal is Boring" though. I'm glad I'm not too alone on this.

Also, a fan asked me awhile ago what my top 5 favorite Victorious episodes were. I took this question seriously and reviewed through all the episodes and their summaries and this is what I came up with:

1. The Diddly-Bops

2. One Thousand Berry Balls

3. Jade Gets Crushed

4. The Bad Roommate

5. Tori Goes Platinum

And there you have it. What does this list say about me? Well, apparently I like song episodes. Specially ones where Andre sings (but I'm just in love with his voice anyway). So I guess I like Andre-centric episodes. You guys can try coming up with your own top 5 to see what it says about you.

All right, well...the last episode of Victorious airs tonight. Who else is completely devastated by this? It doesn't even sound like it's a good concluding episode, so I guess we'll just have to take it as it is. I'll still be writing, though, so Victorious will live on!

Also, need to add this in: to inScense09...congradulations on being so perseptive and thinking like me. Hehehe...

Sorry for the long AN. Review please!

_Enula_


	33. Make It Rot

**Final Project**

**XXXII.**

"Why is everyone staring?" Tori asked lowly to Beck as they walked through the doors of their high school.

Beck looked around, but noticed that not a single person was looking at them. He shot a glance at his girlfriend and saw the worried look in her eyes, "Tori, no one's staring, it's just your imagination. I'm sure no one else even knows what's going on."

This just made Tori feel like everyone was avoiding eye contact with her for a reason. Did they feel scared to acknowledge her presence because of what Jade might do to them? She couldn't blame them. The janitor's closet was straight ahead, and if Jade dragged anyone in there…well, it became an unspoken rule that whatever happens in there, stays in there.

"Tori Vega!" Tori jumped upon hearing her name screamed so loud and her nails dug into Beck's shoulder out of fear. But when she looked, she saw that it was only Helen walking toward her. She was holding a clipboard and strutting as though she wore a crown on her head.

Before Tori had time to respond, Helen started: "I've been going over the list of what song needs to be marked "The Graduation Song" for this year," she put the title in finger quotation marks, seeming annoyed that she had to worry about such trivial things, "And the one I've decided on is your and Andre Harris's song "Here's 2 Us." Sounds like as good a graduation song as I've ever come across. So on graduation night, the two of you will perform, okay?"

Why…why, why, _WHY _did Helen have to come to her with this now?! Didn't she have enough to worry about without adding this to the pile?

"Umm…" she only slightly loosened her grip on Beck, "I don't know, I'll have to talk to Andre about—."

"It wasn't a request," Helen stated firmly, her eyes remaining wide but her tone becoming firm, "I didn't waste a week of my life to change it now."

Tori and Beck just stared at the terrifying woman for a second, even jumping when she very suddenly put on a huge smile and waved her fingers goodbye at them.

Tori turned a terrified glance to Beck, but Beck tried to offer a small smile of encouragement, "Hey, look on the bright side. Andre will have to talk to you now, right?"

Groaning, she looked around to see if she spotted anyone she knew, and when she didn't, she basically sprinted over to her locker, but stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes fell on the horror that occupied her locker space.

Instead of her beautiful "MAKE IT SHINE" words amidst a number of bright stars, there was the horrid "MAKE IT ROT" with slightly more greenish stars surroundings the horrible words.

Tori's bag dropped from her shoulder to the floor and she felt her heart jump into her throat. Her chest began rising and falling at an alarming rate, and she was sure she'd never been so absolutely terrified in her whole life. Her body went numb and her eyes blurred over into an almost blackened state.

"Tori, what's wrong?!" Beck asked as he rushed over to her, but when he followed her eyes, he saw what he previously thought she only imagined all those years ago.

"She's back…she's back!" Tori yelled, trying to get her body to react to her distress by reaching into her pocket to take out her phone and call the cops.

But then she heard familiar laughter come from around the corner, and when both her and Beck looked, they saw Jade leaning against the wall and clapping slowly, a smug smile on her face, "Bravo. What a performance, truly."

Slowly, Tori began to get feeling back in her body parts, "You…you did this?"

Jade crossed her arms, "Don't look so relieved. You of all people should know that I'm worse than that crazy girl you put behind bars."

In a way, Tori knew she was right, but her experience with Ponnie had been the most deeply unsettling thing that had ever rested itself inside of her psyche, and seeing that it was Jade was confusingly a relief.

Beck shook his head and quickly picked up Tori's bag, "Jade, that was completely uncalled for," he said with surprising hatred, his blood boiling with anger.

"Oh, really?" Jade uncrossed her arms and stepped toward the couple, "I can think of many reasons that called for it. Morning amusement for one."

"You know that—," Beck started but Tori held up her hand for him to stop, because they were already making a scene and she didn't want to have this conversation in front of the rest of the school, especially when she was still trying to get her heart rate to become normal again.

Beck stopped for her, mostly because he was worried she would have a heart attack. He watched her swallow roughly though, before she spoke evenly, "Where did you find this?"

Jade shrugged, "It was around. But I quite like this locker better, don't you?" She asked with false pleasantry, turning to admire the _upgrade, _"I mean, it really describes what you do to people's relationships, doesn't it?"

"Jade—," Beck started again, but Tori once more held up her hand. She shook her head at him, her eyes telling him to let it go.

This didn't go unnoticed to Jade, who became enraged by it, "Oh, I see. So you tell me I'm too controlling, but she holds up a hand to shut you up and it's all dandy?"

Beck opened his mouth to reply, but Tori beat him to it, "I'm not doing that to disrespect him…I'm doing it so we all _keep_ our respect…" Tori glanced around slowly, realizing that what she was dreading was coming to light when a few people stopped to see if there was going to be a fight.

"Don't you _dare _act like _you _have any respect!" Jade yelled, taking a huge step forward so she was standing right against Tori, "Who the hell do you think you are talking to _me _about respect?!"

Not wanting fists to fly, Beck tried to step in between them, but Jade pushed him back as hard as she could, "I wouldn't suggest you come near me again, Beck."

Tori was terrified, there was no denying that, and there was no doubt in her mind that she would leave the school with a bruised eye or two. But by now, a huge crowd had gathered around them and she knew without even looking that most, if not all, of them were recording it on their phones.

Tori's flight-or-fight instincts were going into overdrive, and while her hands twitched to throw a punch, her feet ached to turn and run.

_"HEY!" _

The loud, male scream echoed throughout the hall, causing everyone to hush and break apart slightly to see who was yelling. Tori turned around as well, hoping that it wasn't Helen just using her deepest voice possible to show how pissed she was.

But when her eyes landed on Andre, who looked flushed and pissed just as much, she was only slightly relieved. Andre only held her stare for a very brief millisecond before he glared around at everyone else, "There's _not _going to be a fight, so you might as well just go about your own mediocre lives!" His words seem to burn for most of the school's population, as they immediately began walking away from the scene.

Andre then turned his eyes back to the two girls, though made sure not to make any direct eye contact, "And y'all are stupid for wanting to get suspended one week before graduation."

With that, he shook his head and walked to his locker with annoyance, pounding on his keyboard combination to open it up.

Tori…was in shock. She really didn't know how else to feel. Between being seconds away from fighting with the strongest girl in school, to having the whole school know about her problems, to Andre basically saving her life (or at least her face), the day was not going exactly as she had planned.

Jade now only had unrelieved anger built up inside her, and when Beck wrapped his arm around Tori, it only burst with pressure, "You better watch your back, Andre! You're next on my list!"

Andre didn't even give her the satisfaction of looking at her, but this outburst seemed to only make Tori upset, "Why are you taking your anger out on Andre?! He never did a single thing to you!"

Jade glared at her, taking small, threatening steps toward the gentler girl, "You're even stupider than I thought if you truly believe that," she noticed that Tori went rigid and it gave her great satisfaction that she was so intimidated by her, "_He's _the one that brought you here. _He's _the reason I lost Beck to a gank like you. If it wasn't for _him, _I would have never met you and my life would be much…_much _better."

Saying all this with a normal tone sent a chill down Tori's spine. She wanted to defend Andre…to tell her that her actions had nothing to do with Andre, but hearing Jade's side of the argument, Tori couldn't argue against her causal accusations

She did know one thing, however: Jade was _definitely _not Andre's new girl.

Jade shot one last look of hatred at them before stomping away. Tori sighed deeply and looked at the revolting thing that was her locker.

"You okay?" Beck asked as he ran a hand up and down her back.

"Yeah, I just…" She shot a glance back over to Andre as he got books out of his locker, "Hey, I think I'm gonna try to talk to Andre, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, okay," Beck said quickly, moving his hand up to her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze, "I'll see you in class, okay?"

Tori nodded, meeting him half way for the quick peck he planted on her lips, but as soon as he walked away, Tori looked around to see if anyone had been paying attention. Practically the whole hallway averted their gaze from her at once. She sighed. So much for keeping on the down low.

Biting her bottom lip, she almost glided her way over to Andre, afraid her footsteps would make him run for some reason.

She stopped five feet away from him. Getting any closer to him without asking permission seemed so taboo right now. She wringed her hands together, opening her mouth to speak, when she suddenly jumped out of her skin when he slammed his locker shut and turned to head to class.

He obviously didn't know she was standing there, because he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. She was given a chance to speak in this moment, but she waited a few seconds too long, and before she knew it, he was walking past her without evening giving her another look.

Closing her eyes to ask for courage within, she spun around to face him again, "Helen wants us to sing at our graduation ceremony."

Andre stopped suddenly, and Tori could clearly see his back tensing up. She was almost relieved when he turned around to face her, but then she saw the annoyed look in his eyes as he said, "Really, Tori? _That's _what you have to say to me?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but instead continued on his way to class, his figure disappearing around the corner. Tori sucked in a deep breath and looked around again, realizing that all eyes averted away from her immediately again. School was clearly not the place to have personal conversations.

To Andre's credit, bringing up what Helen said was a crappy conversation starter when it came to everything else she wanted to say to him. She wanted to try to explain herself. She wanted to know about his new girl. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was. She wanted to know what Jade told him when they were in different countries. She wanted to know what she could do to keep his friendship. She wanted to know why he sent that text to Beck.

During the weekend, Tori managed to ask Beck about that text. Beck confessed that he asked Andre if his new girl was Jade by chance. Beck was very reluctant to let her see what Andre texted back, but Tori was adamant about it and finally, Beck just gave her his phone instead of having to read it aloud.

Tori was shocked at the words on the screen:

**Andre: Unlike you, I don't do sloppy seconds.**

Tori realized that Andre said that out of anger, but it still hurt.

She was going to have to go over his house later…it was going to be the only way she'll ever be able to talk to him without worrying about eves droppers. She just had to get through Sikowitz's class, then the rest of the day should go by fairly uneventful (she hoped).

As she made her way to class, Cat and Robbie finally came out of the janitor's closet, hoping that any and all fighting was temporarily over so they didn't get pressured into taking sides.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Hello, everyone. Sorry for the long delay. School's in full force, so my time it eaten away pretty easily. I honestly meant for this chapter to be longer, but I got out what I could and did my best to set up for the next chapter. I'm still sad about how Victorious ended. I don't think I have anything else to say...


	34. Solid Tears

**Final Project**

**XXXIII.**

"Welcome home, my little gofers!" Sikowitz greeted his class as he came in through the door by the stage, "I'm as excited to hear about your trips as you are to tell them. Who wants to go first?!" He jumped up on the stage just to sit down on the side and place his chin in his hands.

The class just stared at him. It didn't surprise anyone that he didn't notice the odd seating arrangement. Andre was in the far back by the window, Jade was also in the back, but in the seat farthest away from Andre, Cat and Robbie sat randomly in the middle of the room, and Beck and Tori were seated next to each other in the front row.

When a minute passed and still no one answered, Sikowitz looked deeply concerned, "Oh no…we're missing someone, aren't we? Was someone mistaken as a dog and eaten in some foreign country?!"

Finally, Cat piped up, "No, but I ate bull's balls as an appetizer!"

No one cared who was mad at whom for a moment; they all turned to stare awkwardly at Cat.

"Ew…" Tori whispered harshly, her lips turned down in disgust.

Seeing Tori's face, Jade spoke loudly, "Bet you'll never guess what Tori did with balls."

And just like that, all eyes were on Tori. Her face instantly turned a deep red as she sunk low in her seat and covered her eyes with her hand.

"Jade, nobody wants to hear your nauseating comments," Andre said with detest, crossing his arms and staring out the window.

"Oh, it's not a comment…it's the truth. Tell us, Tori. Tell us all about what you did with—."

"Shut up, Jade!" Beck yelled from his seat without even turning around.

"I dare you to come back here and make me!"

Cat gasped and covered her ears and closed her eyes, "No fighting!"

Robbie, worried about Cat more than anything, glanced around at all his friends, "Can't we all just get along?"

Beck piped up again: "There would be no fighting if _people _could just keep their mouths shut."

Jade, getting angrier by the second, leaned forward in her seat, "There would be no fighting if _people _could keep their legs shut!"

Suddenly, Andre shot up from his seat so fast that the chair fell backwards. Everyone (save Tori) looked at him expectantly for his retaliation, and he truly looked like her wanted to give it, but no words were forming. Eventually, he just waved his arms at everyone as if trying to wish them all away, before turned and exiting the classroom.

His departure left everyone speechless again. Sikowitz was left to speculate in his crazy head what had happened to his brightest students in the past three weeks, "I'm so glad I'm not a teenager anymore…not that I can remember my teen years…"

Beck shook his head at his teacher before looking over at Tori who was still hiding her flushed face. He hated not being able to do anything, because he knew if he put an arm around her that Jade would just continue with her harsh words. Sitting next to her was probably making it pretty hard for her to relax, so he tried whispering to her without being obvious; "You can leave if you want to."

Tori sighed lowly. She wanted to, but she would have to walk past Jade in order to exit the room and she didn't want Jade to see her glassy eyes.

_It's not even ten minutes into first period and already Jade's made my life a living hell…_

"What's the matter, Vega?" Jade's voice dripped with bitterness, "Don't know what to say now if you're not screaming _my _boyfriend's name?"

"Jade…!" Beck started, but stopped when Tori stood up.

Tori couldn't take it anymore…this humiliation that Jade was putting her through in front of her friends, her nameless classmates, and her teacher was getting to be too much. She turned and walked straight toward Jade. Jade stood up when Tori reached her, ready to throw back whatever punch came her way.

But Tori didn't swing her fists. Nor did she try to kick. She just stared into Jade's eyes with pity and sorrow.

"Jade, I'm sorry for the way things turned out…I…I…" But she started stumbling on her words. Seeing the hatred staring back at her was leaving her at a loss for words…and at the worst possible time. But really, what words could she say that would change any given circumstance? She couldn't even imagine being on Jade's side of the fence. How would she feel if she found out Jade and Andre were the ones having an affair? Would she be so forgiving to either one of them?

Tori turned around to see Beck standing up in case he had to break up a fight. His eyes widened when he saw the emptiness in her tearful orbs.

"I'm sorry," Tori said again, looking right into his eyes, before turning and leaving the classroom.

"Tori!" Beck tried to call after her but she was already halfway down the hall. He walked to the door, also, but Jade stepped in front of him.

"Guess whose arms she's going to run back to?"

"Jade? Get over it!" Beck yelled, finally snapping. He left the room just in time to see the front doors of the school close shut. He ran to the doors, hoping that Tori wasn't thinking about ending things between them just because of what Jade said.

He knew he should have predicted it, but he just didn't think Jade would be as cruel as she was being. He supposed it was just hopeful wishing…hoping that Jade would ignore them at best, but leaving them alone seemed to be the last thing on her list.

Beck pushed on the doors to open them to the bright morning sunshine. He saw Tori standing in the middle of the road, looking down the road. Her chestnut hair sparkled in the sun as it fell in waves over her shoulders. In her tight jeans and purple jacket, she looked like she belonged anywhere but California.

"Tori…"

She turned her head towards him, determination in her sunburned eyes, "Drive me to Andre's."

Beck nodded once, digging out his keys as they started walking to his car, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Half the drive was in silence. They both had a rough morning and just needed some time to think. But eventually, when Beck couldn't read the look in Tori's eyes, he had to ask, "What are you thinking about?"<p>

Tori sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm thinking about how stupidly we did things. How we should have known better…how we _did _know better and yet that still didn't stop us…"

Beck didn't answer…he wondered if she was lecturing him.

She continued: "But I'm also thinking about how I wouldn't trade what we did for the world. I don't want to feel ashamed about what we did. Which is why I have to talk to Andre…I need to ask him a few things—like what Jade told him before he caught us. And I need to tell him my side of the story. I know he won't forgive me, but I just…" she stopped and looked out the window. Beck thought that was the end of it, but then he heard her say: "I need to tell him that I love you."

Beck swallowed hard, thanking God that she wasn't planning on ending things, but wondering if she was approaching Andre the right way by telling him this.

Tori seemed to read his mind, "I need him to know that this is more than a fling with a guy I had a crush on two years ago."

Gripping the steering wheel, he looked out his driver's side window briefly, "What made you so brave all of a sudden?" He looked over at her to see her giving him a surprised-like-glare. This made him chuckle shortly, "Sorry, Tor, you know I didn't mean it like that."

She gave a small smile, "I know. I guess…I guess it's because I'm leaving for New York in a few months. I don't want to take any unfinished things with me."

Beck got quiet again. They had yet to talk about that part of their future. Beck got offered a scholarship to The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, so he could move to New York with her, but is that what she wanted?

He knew that was definitely a discussion for later, because he was pulling up next to Andre's house now and this was not the place to bring it up. They both noticed his black car parked in front of them.

"Did you need me to go with you?" Beck asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Tori shook her head, "Nah…getting him to talk to one of us is going to be challenging enough."

Beck tried to laugh but his body only shook slightly and his lips pulled up a bit, "Well…good luck."

She only smiled, then leaned over to give him a chaste yet lingering kiss, "I'll see you back at your place a little later?"

He nodded and watched her get out of his car. As soon as she started walking toward the porch, Beck slowly drove away. He didn't want Tori to think he doubted her…and he knew that she meant well when she talked about the things she wanted to tell Andre, but he couldn't help but think that maybe there was a different way for her to tell him. Or maybe not. He couldn't say for sure. That's basically what he told Jade on video chat less than a week ago.

But that relationship was completely unfixable.

Tori heavily went up the four steps that led to the porch, wondering if Andre heard her get out of the car and already peered out the window to see that it was her. But when she got up close to the door, what she heard made her change her wonderings. Andre was playing on his guitar. It wasn't super loud, but she knew how focused he could get when he's trying to write a new lyric or tune.

Breathing in deeply, Tori raised her fist to the door, paused briefly, but then knocked loudly three times before she had time to run away. She instantly heard the music stop.

"Who is it?" she heard him call out from inside.

She didn't say anything…she thought if she gave herself away, that he wouldn't even both answering the door.

Her plan failed anyway. After Andre waited a few seconds with no response, he said, "Go away, Tori, I don't want to talk."

Tori was at first shocked, but then realized that there was no one else that would knock on his door and then not answer who it was. Or at least respond in some way.

"Please, Andre? I really want to explain myself…"

She heard no movement from inside.

She sighed, "I just…I just really need to apologize to you. You have to understand that it's not like I don't feel complete regret for hurting you the way that I did, but…I can't regret doing what I did with Beck. I've waited so long for him that—."

Tori jumped when the door suddenly swung open. Andre was standing there with fury in his eyes, "'You waited for him for so long?' What the hell is that supposed to mean? That—."

"What did Jade tell you?" Tori interrupted, glad that she could talk to Andre face to face now.

But that didn't last long. He stared, shocked, at her, not sure if he should feel even more infuriated at her for changing the subject. He went to slam the door shut.

"No, wait…!" Tori yelled when she saw what he was doing. She stepped forward to try to stop the door, but her hand wasn't quick enough and her face was the thing that took the bullet. She screamed and gasped loudly, reaching her hands up to cover her throbbing nose, "Oh God, not again…" She thought back to when Cat punched her in the nose for kissing Danny. She really had to stop with that…her nose couldn't take anymore.

Andre swung the door open again, his eyes wide at what he just did, "Aw man, are you okay? Let me see." Tori reluctantly took her hands away from her face, but as soon as she saw Andre scrunch his face up and hiss through his teeth, she quickly covered it again.

Sighing, Andre walked further into the house, which was his kitchen, to get a rag. Taking this as an opportunity, Tori stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She watched as Andre dropped five ice cubes onto the rag and then rolled it up tight. When he walked over to her to hand the homemade icepack to her, she took it slowly while asking, "What did Jade say to you?"

Andre held up his hands and backed away from her, "Look, it was your own fault for stepping into the door like that. I don't owe you anything."

"I know, but I'm here, so can't you at least talk to me?" She asked, and she realized she sounded a bit whiny.

"I didn't ask you to follow me."

"Well, I did. Now can you please just tell me what Jade—."

"Hey! I don't really appreciate you coming in here and demanding I tell you about something!" He yelled, obviously still really pissed at her despite showing his nice guy side and giving her something to take down the swelling. When Tori didn't move or say anything, he continued in a much lower voice, "Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. It was obviously a lie."

"Well…yeah, but it was also something that got you really upset…"

Andre shook his head and chuckled ironically, "Me being upset had nothing to do what she told me…it's all about what _you _did."

Tori sighed and took a step forward, but stopped when she saw Andre take a step back, "Just go, Tori. I have nothing to say to you."

"But I have a lot to say to you…" Tori began, hearing her voice get more nasal-like as her nose went from a throbbing pain to an uncomfortable numbness.

"I can't imagine…" Andre said dryly. When Tori didn't say anything after that, it seemed to fuel his fire again, "I guess you have two years of words to take back, huh? Well? Go on, start taking everything back. Tell me about how you never got over Beck. How you never loved me. Tell me about how you never intended on keeping that promise that nothing would happen in Japan. Tell me how—."

"None of that's true, Andre. I did get over—."

Andre waved her off, "I don't wanna hear it. You can try to explain all you want, but I'm not buying anything you say. You want closure? You got it with my door."

Trying to ignore his last statement, she tried to change the subject again, "So who's your new girl?"

"Why's it any of your business?"

"You don't have one."

"If that's what you believe."

They stared at each other for a long time. Tori was surprised at how hard Andre kept his eyes, "What did Jade tell you?"

Andre rolled his eyes and turned to the fridge to grab a soda, "It doesn't even matter, Baby Girl, it's over and done with."

Tori stood there in shock as she watched him take out a soda, open it, and sip from it. About a minute passed with him trying to look everywhere but at her, but when she continued to stare, he couldn't take it anymore, "What? Did you want one? 'Cause this was my last one."

"N-no…didn't you just realize what you called me?"

Andre looked a little confused, but then turned away.

"You called me 'Baby Girl.'"

"It's just a two-year habit, Tori. It happens," he said a little too quickly.

Whether it was subconscious or not, she wondered if it somehow meant that he truly wanted to forgive her. She dared to step closer to him and couldn't tell if she was being brave or foolish. When she got close enough to him, she reached out a hand and gently laid it on his shoulder.

Either he was taken by surprise or he just didn't want her anywhere near him, but he turned around quickly and swatted her hand away. Tori jumped back and it made her lose her grip on the rag. The five ice cubes clattered to the kitchen floor; five heavy, solid tears.

Tori and Andre stared at the cubes for a few seconds as if they were grenades ready to explode. The silence between them was louder than the clatters, so finally, without looking up, Andre answered her original question: "Jade had made up some story about how Beck proposed to her. She showed me a ring and everything…I gotta give it to the girl, she's definitely a good actress, because she appeared to be the happiest chick on the planet. Ya know…that glow girls get on occasions like that. Anyway, she went on to tell me how jealous you were that Beck proposed to her but I didn't propose to you. It sounds stupid now…but she really planned this out well and she was pulling it all off.

"Long story short, she convinced me to buy an engagement ring in Agentina. 'How special would that be?' she asked. I agreed. That's why you couldn't get ahold of me for so long before…" Andre paused here as he thought back to that very moment when he answered Tori's call to see her and Beck kissing.

Tori finally started to raise her eyes from the floor, shock clearly written in the brightness of her orbs, "You were out looking for a ring…"

Andre didn't respond. He turned away from her and grabbed his soda, tilting it to his lips every few seconds. It was like he was trying to have his mouth do something besides talk…he didn't want to talk anymore. Tori was a smart girl, she could put the rest together. The day he caught her cheating…

Was going to be the day he proposed.

And Jade set the whole thing up. She wanted everyone to feel the level of pain she was dealing with, and to make sure of that, she heightened the extremity of the situation by allowing Andre to believe in something so great…just to get faced with the worst possible scenario ever.

And Jade knew—she had to know—that when Andre finally told Tori about this…that Tori would suffer a compunction so deep that it would never leave her memories.

Her best friend of four years was going to propose to her…but then couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Andre…" she whispered, the throbbing in her heart overtaking the pain in her nose. She took a few steps closer to him, but then stopped. There was nothing she could do or say that was going to make the situation any better for him.

She couldn't accept his proposal. She couldn't say yes. And she knew Andre enough to know that that was one of the main reasons he actually told her what Jade said to him. He was hoping against hope to get the answer he desperately wanted from her. But she couldn't.

Jade had definitely won this round.

"Just go, Tori…" Andre said, the steadiness in his voice sounding very forced.

Tori's hands came together and fidgeted nervously, "I'd still really like to talk to you about…us…"

He sighed and looked up, and Tori could see his back tense, "There's no such thing anymore."

In anguish, she reached for his shoulder again, "Andre, don't say—."

_"GO!" _He spun around and slammed his fist on the countertop. She saw the anger blistering his eyes despite the tears threatening to put out the fire. He held his mouth solid, but his whole body looked like it wanted to strike at anything.

Tori tried to stand her ground, "But we still—."

Andre took a hard step toward her which made her involuntarily take a step back, "No, there's _nothing! _No feelings…" He took another step forward and she took one back, "No friendship…" Step forward. Step back. "No music…" This time, when he stepped forward, Tori stayed still, "No life." He took another step, but again, she remained in place, so they ended up face to face.

She stared up into his dark eyes as she looked for even a hint of truth to support his words, "Andre, just because it didn't work out between us, doesn't mean—."

He chuckled softly, ironically, "You make it seem like our break up was mutual and uncomplicated. It was _far _from that. You may be ready to get passed all this, but I'm not. And I never will be. _I don't want to forgive you."_

Stinging. These words slapped the bravado out of her as her mind formed a sort of panic song. The biggest thing she was afraid of the whole time in Japan was losing Andre for good. Something kept telling her that somehow…someway…it would all still work out. She had such a hard time picturing her life without Andre in it that she actually made herself believe (at least to a certain extent) that it would never happen.

Tears slid down her face effortlessly, "Andre, please let me explain…"

Andre looked shocked for a moment, but then hardened his expression again, "No! You don't get that option to c—." He cut himself short when his voice cracked. He had to shut himself up before he made a complete blubbering fool of himself.

Tori placed her hands on either side of his head and pressed their foreheads together, her tears still coming down like rain while she noticed a few of his own finally escaping. His hands overlapped hers, and he squeezed so hard that she was sure he was getting ready to pick her up and throw her.

"I never wanted to hurt you…" she said clearly despite her closed throat.

Andre closed his eyes because he couldn't stand being this close to her and looking into the eyes he'd grown to love so much. He wanted to make a joke and tell her how cliché that line was. He wanted to tell her that she was full of shit. But more than anything—and he hated himself for it—he wanted to kiss her.

He could hear her voice, but he couldn't understand her words. His mind began thinking the same thing he thought on his whole plane ride home: would he be able to win her back? His brain tried to tell him he was stupid…why would he try to do something so dumb? But his heart was aching for his best friend that he loved more than anything, and whom he never got a chance to say goodbye to.

He wanted to hate her…and he supposed his love for her manifested itself into a form of abhorrence when he was at his angriest. His mind finally focused on her words again as soon as she said:

"…but I still love you…"

Their foreheads were still touching, and now their lips were, too, but it was only savored for a very quick second before Tori was pulling away, whispering, "I can't…"

And then the moment was gone. Andre threw her hands off of him and backed away from her, "_So _good to know you're not a cheater."

The sarcasm dripped heavily from his voice. Before Tori could respond, he pointed toward the door and shouted, "Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!"

"But everything I just told you—."

"I didn't hear shit," he answered as he spun her around and began pushing her toward the door with his hands on her shoulders. Before she could even register what was happening, he had the door open and was shoving her outside and slamming the door shut again.

Tori's chest rose and fell as she stared blankly at the street. She was trying to wrap her thoughts around what just happened…she truly thought she was finally getting to him, but then…

There was no use in trying to talk to him some more today. He was too upset to listen any longer. Without even wiping her face, she went down the steps, her shoes pounding brutally on the stairs to inform Andre that she was leaving like he wanted her to.

Inside, Andre leaned against his front door, sliding all the way down to his butt once he heard her leave. His face was strangely vacant as he looked around his house and wondered what to do with his life now that Tori wasn't in it.

* * *

><p>Beck jumped up quickly from his bed when he heard a soft knocking on his door. As soon as he pulled the door open, his face went from happy to shocked.<p>

"Oh my God, Tori, what happened to your nose?!"

"Oh…" Tori reached up and covered her nose with her hand. Her face had gone numb, so she had forgotten about it and didn't consider coming up with a better excuse to tell Beck before she arrived at his RV.

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Beck asked, stepping aside as Tori made her way inside, "Did…did An—."

"No," Tori answered quickly before he could continue, "It has nothing to do with him…I just ran into a door."

Beck stared hard at her as she lay down on his bed, "Are you—."

She closed her eyes and groaned, "Beck, _please _just believe me on this, okay?" When she didn't hear him respond, she opened her eyes to see that he was just staring at her. She sighed, "I'm not lying, all right?"

"Um…okay, yeah," Beck consented, truly hoping she wasn't trying to cover up anything. He sat down on his bed with his back against the wall as he rose her legs up to rest over his, "So…I take it that it didn't go as well as you hoped…?"

Tori watched as his hand absently roamed up and down her legs, "Not at all…"

Beck wanted to say he was sorry, but she probably already knew that. They sat in comfortable silence together, both of them focused on the soft s_wish _sound his hands made over her jeans.

Then suddenly, she said: "I can't wait to go to college. Everything about L.A. just makes me feel so guilty now."

Beck kept silent. He wondered if she literally meant _everything _(which would include him).

"A completely fresh start in New York is just what I need."

Beck tapped his head back against the wall, his eyes roaming everywhere as he asked his question, "So should I accept that scholarship to NYCDA then?" His eyes lowered to look at her.

But she kept her eyes on the ceiling, "If that's what you want."

He reached his hand up to twirl his finger around the ends of her hair that stopped at her breast, "I want to be where you are."

She still didn't look at him, "You really mean that…?"

"Hey…" he tugged gently on her strands which finally made her eyes meet his, "You know I do."

Tori smiled softly at him but then looked back to the ceiling. Beck's eyes roamed back to his hands gliding over her legs. There was nothing much else to say as they mourned in the loss of their previously thought-to-be lifelong friendships.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Wow...wow? Hello, everyone! How have you all been? I'm sooooo sorry for such a super long delay! Classes were really kicking my butt since April. But I've been thinking about this story constantly, and am so happy that I was able to find the time and inspiration to finally continue it. I really hope my faithful readers are still hanging around! I miss you guys! And I know a lot of you have been asking how many chapters I plan on making this story. I'm just gonna say something like 40-ish.

So I totally miss Victorious. I tried watching Sam and Cat and I just...no. I can't get into it. I don't know if it's because I still want more Victorious, or if I'm too old for the humor in Sam and Cat, or if it's just a plain our terrible show. I guess I could give it a try a little bit longer...I remember that I didn't exactly love Victorious right away either (though I at least could stand watching it).

Anyway, so how did you guys like how I handled the Tandre situation? Again, I tried to make Andre's reactions as believable as possible. Believe me, I've been in past relationships where I hate the person for doing something and yet there's a part of me that still doesn't want to let go. And that is definitely the huge dilemma Andre is facing.

I have a few things planned out for the rest of the story...such as their actual final project presentations, graduation, and of course, the whole college thing. So something to look forward to!

THANK YOU to everyone who has read and reviewed even during the stories hiatus! LOVE YOU!

~Enula


	35. Can't Have Both

**Final Project**

**XXXIV.**

The next few days went by in a blur. Helen assigned certain times and days for each group of seniors to present their senior projects, and Tori and Beck were both glad that they were one of the first to go.

They ended up playing the slideshow of pictures on the white screen in the background as Tori sang the song she learned in Japanese with hints of English. During each pause between verses, her and Beck would do some quick costume changes behind the side curtains to enhance the feel of each portion of Japan they were trying to portray.

It felt weird, to say the least, to be doing this final project finally. This project was, after all, the thing that started and ended everything. It was the thing that got the two together after all these years; it was the thing that broke apart two couples whom everyone around envied; and it marked the end of senior year. This was the last thing they would ever have to do for high school.

Well…almost.

Right after their performance ended, Helen, instead of clapping, simply asked, "Ms. Tori Vega, did you talk to Mr. Harris about that graduation song I want performed?"

Tori and Beck shot side-glances at each other. Over the years, they had gotten used to Helen's weird ways of showing appreciation for something (and they learned that if she has nothing at all to say about it, it means she thought it was perfect and had no criticism to give—which was a good sign for them in this case), so they didn't try to get an opinion out of her.

"Um…not really, ma'am, see…Andre and I aren't really on speaking terms right now…" Tori tried to explain, but was quickly cut off.

"I'm not interested in personal affairs," came Helen's strict response as she stuck a pen behind her ear, "I'm interested in having a spectacular graduation ceremony. So are you or are you not performing with Andre Harris on Friday?"

Tori thought about trying to go into detail about the situation some more, but figured Helen would not buy into it. So instead, she simply said, "No."

"Well, you best do something to make that into a yes," Helen said simply before screaming, "_Next!" _One of Helen's assistants came out of nowhere and shooed them off stage before Tori could get another word in.

Tori was concerned about how to bring this news up to Andre, but Helen apparently had gotten to him as well, because the day after her and Beck's project, Cat came up to her and announced, "Andre wanted you to know that he doesn't care what Helen wants for graduation, that he's gonna do his own thing."

Tori let out a long breath as she closed her locker shut. In a way, it was a great relief to her, but in another, she was truly hoping to get to work with Andre again…even if it was only for one last time.

"Great…guess I should start thinking up my own thing, too, so Helen doesn't get too mad," Tori said with slight frustration, leaning against her locker that once again said "Make it Shine."

"Have you tried talking to him again?" Cat asked with innocent curiosity.

Tori shook her head and looked up at the ceiling, "No, he's been avoiding me. I don't blame him, but—."

"Okay, okay, okay, listen!" Cat said suddenly and panic-like, "Jade wants me to go to Kara_OKAAAAY _tonight with her. Robbie convinced Andre to go tonight, too. Maybe you and Beck should make a 'surprise visit,'" Cat added the last two words in finger quotations, also adding a wink, as if Tori would never guess what she was up to otherwise.

Biting her bottom lip, Tori looked unsure, "I don't know, Cat…that may just cause a fight…"

_"Ooorrr…" _Cat drew out the word, her voice going an octave higher, "It could settle things." When the red-head saw the look of uncertainty in her friend's eyes, she quickly broke down to begging, "_Pleeeeease, _Tori! I'm so sick of taking sides! I can't be on Jade's side, Andre's side, _and _your side! It's driving me crazy!"

"Even more so than usual?" came a third-party voice. Cat and Tori both looked to see Jade walking by to go toward her locker, "Come here, Cat."

Jade never once turned to look at the two, but Cat glanced at Tori with worry in her big eyes. "Just think about it," Cat whispered loudly before jogging over to Jade who had reached her locker.

Tori sighed when Cat left. Is this seriously what it came to? Cat being afraid to talk to her because of Jade? She was sure Robbie was feeling the same between Andre and Beck. She wondered how long it would take Cat and Robbie to get sick of this and break off ties with all four of them.

* * *

><p>Outside of Hollywood Arts, Beck was on the phone with an administrator at NYCDA. He had called to talk about the scholarship that was offered to him at the beginning of senior year, and how he had decided to make them his college choice. He was shocked when he listened to the woman's response.<p>

"I'm sorry, but we only award that scholarship to one person every few years. When we didn't hear from you, we offered it to someone else who immediately grabbed it up. You can still try to apply for the university, though," she told him as she tried to sound as positive as she could.

Beck was in shock. He had no idea that he had a deadline to meet. Well…he did know that, but he was truly hoping that everything would go a lot more smoothly. It was only June, however, and classes didn't start until the end of August. He had time…

He thanked the woman for her time and hung up the phone, staring off into the distance.

"Hey, Handsome," a voice came from behind him. He turned around to see Tori, her huge bag draped over her shoulder, "Ready to leave?"

He forced a smile and held out his arm so she could walk into him with his hand around her shoulder, "How was the rest of your day?"

She shrugged half-heartedly, "It was okay…hey, do you want to go to Kara_OKAAAAY _tonight?"

Beck looked at her oddly for a moment, "That was random. Aren't you worried we're going to run into someone we know?"

Walking a little slower once they came close to his car, Tori looked down at their feet, "A little, but...I'm tired of hiding, ya know? We've been cooped up every night since we got back because we don't want to bump into anyone."

He understood, but tried to show his playful side when he buried his face into her neck, "You don't like what we've been doing these past nights?"

Giggling softly, she hid her fingers in his soft hair. They made it to his car and she allowed him to press her against the passenger door, "This has nothing to do with that…"

"Then why…" Beck kissed his way up from her neck to her lips, planning on saying more, but once he got the taste of her in his mouth, he just couldn't stop. He pressed his hips into hers and placed both of his hands on the hood of his car as his mouth devoured hers. It was crazy…feeling like he hadn't seen her in forever and it had only been a few hours. What was he going to do if they didn't get to go to the same college…?

A loud engine roaring made the couple break apart quickly. When they looked to the side, they saw Andre's sleek black car speeding out of the parking lot and down the street.

They both sighed as Beck backed away from her. The moment was broken.

"Actually…I have something to take care of tonight. I don't think I can go out," Beck said, thinking about the essay he had to write to NYCDA as soon as possible to try to get admitted.

Tori looked at him skeptically, "What do you have to do? I know you don't have homework, and our presentation is over…"

"Just…something. Maybe we can go out tomorrow night?" Beck felt terrible for not telling her about his phone call, but he didn't want Tori worrying about anything else on top of what she already had going on.

Narrowing her eyebrows, she tried to figure out what he was up to, but couldn't quite put her finger on it, so dismissed it with a guarded look. She was getting ready to suggest that she just chill at his place again, but she really wanted to try to talk to Andre again. She was running out of time to do so, and she truly didn't want to see the best friendship she ever had go to waste.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Tori got ready to head to Kara<em>OKAAAAY <em>by herself. She was a bit nervous about going alone, but she figured she would have a better chance of talking to Andre when Beck wasn't around. She considered trying to just go to his house again, but thought that maybe Andre would really hear her out when they were someplace public.

She dressed in her normal attire: tight jeans, a sparkling top, and high-heels. She curled her hair, added eye-liner and purple eye shadow, and was ready to go. Of course, she didn't have a ride, so would have to resort to taking a taxi. Neither of her parents were home (which meant her dad was probably on duty and her mom was off doing…whatever it was she did), but she still didn't bother leaving a note saying she would be out late.

* * *

><p>Pulling up to the crowded hang-out spot brought back so many fond memories…it was where her and her friends had a lot of fun times together. When she got out of the taxi, she spotted Andre's car and Jade's car. Good…everyone was already here.<p>

Stepping into the club, she quickly scanned her surroundings. A somewhat talented girl was on stage singing an old Britney Spears song, but the crowd was hardly paying her any attention. There were a group of jocks in the back corner with about ten baskets of chicken wings on their table. Their laughter often boomed over the song. She saw a lot of Northridge girls scattered about, which helped her eyes focus on the two truly pretty girls in the crowd (Cat and Jade). Jade looked annoyed, but Cat seemed content enough as she twirled her straw in her drink.

Tori's eyes landed on a few people who looked like they wanted the courage to go up on stage, more Northridge girls, then finally, she looked toward the bar. And there was Andre, sitting on a stool with his back facing her, an obviously older woman hovering provocatively over him, and Robbie on the other side of the woman, obviously trying to cut into the conversation.

She shot a quick glance back to Jade to make sure she wasn't spotted (didn't seem like it), before making her way over to the bar. Despite how intimate the tête-à-tête looked between the woman and Andre, Tori sat down on the barstool on the other side of Andre and immediately asked, "So you singing tonight?"

Andre glimpsed over at her before refocusing his eyes on his drink and paper and pen in front of him. He sighed loudly to show his annoyance, "What are you doing here?"

Tori tried to ignore his hostility, "Came to see you."

"Excuse me!" The woman on the other side of Andre interjected, "I was talking to Andre first!"

Tori looked from her back to Andre, but he only shrugged and took a sip from his round rocks glass. Tori could automatically smell the alcohol and put two-and-two together. This woman was obviously old enough to buy alcohol and was giving it to Andre.

Tori leaned in close to him and whispered harshly, "Are you crazy? You wanna get arrested for underage drinking right before graduation?"

"Who's gonna tell?" He answered dryly without looking at her. He looked down at the words on the paper and tapped his pen irritably.

Her back straightened when he said this, and she could still feel the glare from the woman. She knew berating Andre was not going to help her situation any, so tried a different approach, "Are you working on a new song?"

He didn't answer, which meant yes.

She remembered back to the days when he would get "drunk" off of his chocolate drink when he felt pressured to write up a song in a short amount of time. That was way back in freshman year…it seemed like a century ago.

"Is it for graduation?" Andre still didn't answer, "Cat told me that you didn't want to sing with me on graduation. Can't say I blame you." No response, "I'm trying to write a song myself. It's hard without you…"

When he still said nothing, the woman on the other side of him spoke up, "It seems like he doesn't want to talk to you. So why don't you try your luck elsewhere?"

But just like Andre, Tori didn't acknowledge her words, "Won't you please just work with me on this, Andre? It'll be a great way to end high school and—."

Tori stopped short when Andre suddenly laughed loudly, "You mean the high school I got you in to?"

She watched him drink the whole glass before setting it on the table. The woman snapped for the bartender to come over to order another drink. Tori wondered why this lady was trying to get Andre so drunk.

Leaning in close to him again, she lowered her voice but tried to keep it louder than the music that was playing, "What are you doing? Don't you think it's a little cliché to be drinking like this because of a breakup?"

"Don't you think it's a little cliché for my girlfriend to cheat on me with my best friend?" Andre retaliated instantly, turning in his seat to glare at her. As soon as he saw her proud face, however, he knew that she only said that to get him riled up enough to respond. He shook his head when he figured it out and turned back to the bar. He saw that there was another drink sitting there and downed it in one gulp.

Tori frowned, "I saw your car parked out front…how are you planning on getting home?"

Robbie suddenly raised his hand from around the woman, "I'll drive…"

Tori was grateful that Robbie was being such a good friend, but was slightly angry at him for speaking up. If Andre thought he didn't have a designated driver, he might stop drinking.

"Let's take a shot, baby!" the woman yelled to Andre as she once again called the bartender over.

"Don't call me that…" Andre said in a voice loud enough for Tori to hear since she was looking at him, but that went unnoticed to the person he was actually talking to. He put his elbow on the table and rested his forehead in his palm. He scribbled a few words on the paper.

Tori looked at him sadly, "Andre, please stop drinking…I'm not worth it, I swear."

He didn't even chuckle at her pathetic joke. He kept looking down at his paper and she could tell very easily that he wished she would just leave.

"Well, well, well…look who decided to show up."

Tori groaned before even turning to see that it was Jade.

"Shouldn't you be up on stage singing or something?" Tori asked briskly.

"I don't think that's any of your concern," Jade responded, crossing her arms over her chest confidently, "But you being here with Andre and not Beck is a bit concerning…what ever could be going on?" She asked with false alarm.

Tori saw Cat wave shyly from behind Jade before going over to Robbie and speaking with him. She watched as the lady picked up two shot glasses of something, keeping one for herself and handing the other one to Andre.

"You planning on trying to start a threesome or something, Vega?"

Before Tori could even comprehend what Jade was getting at, Andre had spun around and splashed his drink in Jade's face. Jade gasped and closed her eyes as the alcohol settled into her eyes, mascara already slipping down her face.

"You need to learn when to shut the hell up, Jade," Andre muttered, turning back around to set the empty glass on the counter. The woman who ordered it for him looked too dumbfounded to do anything except gulp down her shot.

Jade growled lowly as she reached up to wipe the liquid from her eyes, "That's it…" then suddenly her voice loudened remarkably, "Everyone better hightail it outta here, I'm calling the _police_!"

And even though no one else in the club was doing anything illegal, there was a sudden mad rush to the exit. Tori got knocked off her seat as people shoved their way through any way possible, but she was only vaguely aware of Andre's arm on her.

"Shit, I need to get out," she heard Andre say to himself before jumping from his seat and running with the crowd.

Tori glanced at Jade, who was still just standing there with her arms crossed. There were black smears on her face from where she tried to stop the mascara from flowing, but it was obvious that she never even reached for her phone.

She considered saying something to her, but then thought better of it, and simply left the bar to try to find Andre in the parking lot.

"You know you can't have both of them, right?" she heard Jade yell from behind her.

Tori still didn't give her the satisfaction of answering her. The more she interacted with Jade, the worse things got. That still didn't mean her latest words didn't sting.

_Of course _she knew she couldn't have both of them! She wasn't trying to get Andre back romantically, she just…

But as the crowd around her pushed and shoved against her, Tori's feet stopped working as Jade's words rang in her head.

_Can't have them both…._

And she hated to admit it, but…Jade was completely right. With the way things happened, there was no possible way Jade could be wrong.

As long as Tori was with Beck, Andre wouldn't want to be around her. Every time he looked at her, all he saw was the girl who betrayed him. He doesn't want to see how happy her and Beck are together; it would just hurt too much. So he chose the path that would help keep him the happiest and sanest: avoidance.

And she hadn't even stopped to really consider what her obsession with getting Andre's forgiveness was doing to Beck. If by some miracle Andre did forgive her and wanted to hang out with her again…wouldn't that make Beck feel a bit uneasy? His girlfriend hanging out with her ex? And it wouldn't even be entirely a trust issue, but just knowing that Andre still had some feelings for Tori would make any caring boyfriend a little tense. And if they all hung out together, would her and Beck feel weird about sitting close or holding hands in front of him? Definitely.

_Can't have both…_

So as Tori stood alone in a crowded, chaotic room, she finally realized that she wanted Andre's forgiveness—not to make everything easier on him, but to find comfort in her own selfish mind.

She had to let him go.

If this whole thing had happened any other way…it could have been different. But it wasn't…and that was that.

When the last person finally got outside of the building, it was deathly silent inside the empty club. But then she heard heels click on the floor, getting louder as they got closer to her, and she saw Jade walk past her without even glancing at her.

"Glad you finally see things my way."

()()()()()()()()()()

Anyone surprised that I updated again so quickly? Well, I got so many positive reviews talking about how happy they were to see this story again, that I figured I'd give a treat to those special reviewers!I honestly wasn't expecting a whole lot of people to review since it's been so long, but reviews do motivate me like nothing else, so yea! I'm also kinda drunk right now, so that could be contributed...

I kinda laughed when so many of you wrote to me saying how I write Tandre better than anything. Ha! That's so interesting! Even before I was really shipping them, I got comments like that. So I find it highly amusing when you guys tell me that you think this is an awesome Tandre story when it's actually a Bori story lol. And NOW, after last chapter, I saw that some are wishing for Tandre to be endgame. Well..for "Final Project," that is not going to happen. This is, and will always be, a Bori story.

(Didn't exclude the possibility of a spinoff when I'm completely finished with this story, however.)

But after rereading Solid Tears, I realized that I wanted a bit more with the whole Tori and Andre thing. I liked what happened in the chapter, but I just felt like something was missing...like Tori was missing something big. And that's when this chapter was born. Also, sorry to anyone who was expecting great detail in their final project presentation. Lol, I know it's kinda ironic that the thing that is the title happened in one short paragraph, but...tis what it'tis.

So once again, thanks to all my awesome readers and reviewers!

~Enula


	36. Tenderness

_Warning: This chapter contains sexual content and depressing scenes. You have been sexually and depressingly warned._

**Final Project**

**XXXV.**

Beck sat slumped in his bed with a spiral-ring notebook and a black pen that he clicked constantly. It was one of his few bad habits that annoyed other people. But no one else was around right now, so he was free to click away. He had visited the NYCDA website earlier in the night and memorized the essay question the school wanted all traditional applicants to answer:

_Describe a time you have been disappointed and what you did to overcome the situation. 800-1000 words._

Simple. Not too hard at all. At least…he didn't think so when he first looked at it. But now, having stared at a blank piece of paper for nearly two hours, Beck wasn't so sure. There have been plenty of disappointments in his life, ranging from not getting a part that he wanted, not getting a grade he thought he deserved, not liking a particular screenplay assignment…

He couldn't get any real details going for these past dilemmas, however. All he could think about was the time before the Platinum Music Awards when Tori turned him down. The feeling he had on that day didn't even come close to the pitiful pity-parties he had for all those other occasions.

Of course, a failed almost-relationship was hardly anything to talk about for a college essay. They wanted to hear about acting or stage experience, not a pretty girl.

Beck touched the tip of the pen to the notebook. If he could only come up with a good first line, everything else should just flow…

_Crystal Waters._

He didn't mean to write down that name. He had been thinking about his small role he played in the movie that had started of starring Melinda Murray, but then Tori's alias came to mind.

Where was she anyway? She mentioned about going to Kara_OKAAAAY _tonight, but she didn't end up going alone, did she? He hoped not. Not that he didn't trust her or was worried about her, he just would feel bad for making her feel like she had to go alone when he very well could have went out, even if just for a few hours.

These hours he spent in his RV trying to write an essay certainly haven't been very productive.

He sighed and laid his head back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. He wished he could call Andre right about now. What could he say; the guy was good with words. Andre would have made this essay into a song, and that would have completely inspired Beck to write that 800 word minimum paper.

Shit…even just calling Andre to call him would be nice right about now. He had to admit, when he was in Japan, he didn't fully consider how his friendship with Andre would be impacted. He thought too black and white. It was Tori versus Andre and Jade versus himself. He didn't dwell on all the crisscrosses involved. He knew Tori really didn't either. She was always talking about Andre forgiving her, but nothing about Andre forgiving him…or _them._

Beck imagined that Andre was probably angrier at him (Beck) and more hurt over Tori. But because Tori has been the only one to try to reach out to him, she got the blunt end of all his emotions. Beck had just assumed that Andre would never forgive him, so didn't even try to ask for it. Was that thinking pessimistically or realistically? _Good question._

Andre had to feel just as bad, if not worse, than Jade. Jade knew that her relationship with Beck was rocky, at best. He had expressed his unhappiness from time to time, and Jade, always hating to lose, would do everything in her power to make him completely happy again. And it would work. Until things went back to normal.

But Andre…he thought he had the perfect and permanent relationship with Tori. And he supposed Andre had no reason to think otherwise. Tori has a way of making anyone feel loved, especially if she's close to him or her. And Andre was good to her…Beck had been watching them for the last two years. Andre treated her like a princess: he wrote songs for her, he sang to her, he sang _with _her, he took her out…never once did he try to hide Tori and her talent from the rest of the world.

It truly made Beck wonder why she didn't love Andre the way she loved him. What did he have that Andre didn't? He knew it was weird to be asking that kind of question when he was, in essence, the "winner." But this was certainly a peculiar situation. Would it be unfair to ask Tori this? Would she think he was being arrogant? Just wanted to hear words to gloat on?

At that moment, he heard a light tapping on his RV door. He had just looked up when the door opened and Tori stepped in. His heart literally skipped a beat when her eyes met his and he saw a small smile playing on her lips.

"Hey…" was all that came from him as she shut the door and stepped further in, crossing her arms and rubbing her forearms with her hands.

"Hey to you…" she spoke softly as if she was afraid of breaking some sort of sacred silence. That's when he realized that he had been sitting in silence with a notebook on his lap. It must have looked like he was trying to really concentrate. Which he was, of course…

"You look nice," he complemented as he scooted himself up more on the bed so he wasn't so slouched, "You go to the club?"

Tori shrugged slightly and dropped her arms, taking off a bracelet and setting it on his table, "Only for a few minutes. Someone threatened to call the police about something so everyone ran."

Beck chuckled, "_Everyone?"_

Tori smiled a bit more, "Heh, yeah…everyone. Hey, do you mind if I take a quick shower? I walked here from the club and—."

"Why didn't you take a cab? Or call me?" Beck asked, setting his notebook and pen aside.

Tori waved him off, "Just felt like walking. But it was muggy, so I feel gross. Gonna hop in the shower, kay?" She took out her green feather earrings and set them on the table by her bracelet before walking into the bathroom. She left the door cracked slightly to allow some steam to escape.

Beck knew there had to be more to the story than what she was telling. He wouldn't be surprised if Jade was the one that threatened to call the police. He wondered if she planted something on Tori and wanted to frame her.

He quickly shook the thought from his head. That obviously didn't happen if Tori was here now, so he might as well just forget it. He stood up when he heard her turn on the shower head.

* * *

><p>Jade sat on her bed and stared across the dim room at her dresser mirror. She still had on her heavy goth boots as well as her black outfit she went out in. With her dark hair, she looked like a mere silhouette in the mirror…a face floating in the middle. There were still some photographs of her and Beck hanging on the edges of the mirror. Four, to be exact. There used to be more. She took care of the other five already.<p>

She hated the symmetry on her mirror. Two pictures of the left, two on the right. Too perfect. Too in-line. Too…horrid.

She hated herself in this moment. More than she hated Beck. And possibly, even more than she hated Tori. Why was she punishing herself by keeping these pictures? It was the kind of mistreatment she wasn't used to…this…dullness. This hope for something good that will never happen, because it's bad. It's all bad, it always was and it always will be.

Too much of her time went to this investment—this relationship thing. The few other times they broke up, something always told her that it wasn't the end. But this was the end. She felt it in her bones. They were weightlessly heavy and the only time they felt better was when she was kicking or hitting something. Was this what true despair felt like? Was everything before this merely an act?

Feeling a surge of anger rise from her core, she watched her reflection jump from the bed and rush forward, ripping a picture off the mirror and snatching sharp scissors from the dresser. Her eyes blurred as she smashed the picture to the wall before jamming the scissors right through the photo and into the wall. When her vision came back, she saw that she didn't stab Beck's face, but instead, her own.

* * *

><p>Tori gave a short shout in surprise when she felt Beck's arms wrap around her from behind. She had only gotten her shirt off before he snuck up on her, but feeling his hand roam across her stomach sent butterflies flying all over her skin.<p>

"What're you doing?" Tori asked playfully as she tilted her head to the side to let his lips play over her neck.

He only moaned lowly in response as his lips traveled up to her ear and his hands found their way to her covered breasts, bracing himself as she fell back against him. He felt her body shift as she unbuttoned her own jeans and tried to wiggle them down her legs. To help her out, he clasped his fingers onto the hem of her jeans and kissed down her back as he lowered the jeans to her feet.

Placing small kisses at the small of her back, he fell to his knees even when she stepped out of the jeans. "Beck…" she whispered his name as she tangled her fingers in his hair and tried to turn toward him. He let her, moving his kisses to her stomach, to the valley between her breasts, her neck that was so nicely exposed for him as she tossed her head back.

The hot water was already steaming up the room, and he loved the taste of moisture on her skin. To be closer to her, he hurriedly took off his shirt, not at all surprised when she smashed their lips together before he got the shirt all the way over his head.

Beck enjoyed the moan that emitted from her parted lips as she began playing with the zipper of his jeans. She had somehow become very skilled with getting his jeans and boxers off at the same time, and he never noticed it until he felt them around his knees.

His hand snaked its way into her panties, feeling her knees buckle from under her when he touched her core. He loved how it felt pressing into her, how her eyes fluttered closed, how her body forgets how to move except for the slight quivering of her thighs.

"_Ssshhhhower…" _Tori managed to stutter out as her feet tried to spread wider unconsciously against his caress.

With his free hand, he reached behind her and unhooked her bra, allowing her to slide it off, as his hand then got lost in her wild hair, his lips all over hers, his fingers still playing with their discovery.

"Beck…" she said, as if a reminder that they were indeed in there to take a shower. He promptly stopped his ministrations and picked her up from the back of her thighs. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her face down against his as he turned toward the shower. Blindly, she reached out to slide the glass open so they could step in. She managed to close the glass again before feeling how hot the water was on her skin.

She yelped at the burn, but then Beck was pressing her against the wall and entering her with a quickness, and the burn from the water didn't seem so bad anymore.

* * *

><p>Andre stumbled up his stairs, the drinks and the rush of the night finally catching up to him. When Jade threatened to call the police, he had somehow forgotten that Robbie drove with him. He took a huge risk by driving himself home. But he just wanted to get out of there. Away from the drinks, away from the people, away from the police, away from…Tori.<p>

His shoulder used the wall for support as he climbed the stairs. He was sure the world wasn't slanted—just his life. His life was crooked and slanted and he didn't know how to straighten it out again. Just like hanging a picture on a wall, you need two people: one to hang it, and one to tell you if it's straight. He was missing his second person…and he was having a hard time stepping back from the situation to see what he needed to do.

Finally making it to the second story, he staggered across the hall to his bedroom, slamming into his closed door a little harder than he intended. The doorknob felt slimy in his dry hands, but the coolness felt good on his skin. So when he got the door open, he kept ahold of the knob, looking around at his room full of music memorabilia. A guitar here, a keyboard there, a piccolo on his nightstand (Tori's piccolo to be exact), music sheets scattered about his dresser…

And he knew that Tori's hairbrush was underneath all those papers. It was one of the things that she thought she should have at his house for those occasions when she ended up staying the night.

Andre closed his eyes as the room began spinning. He basically threw himself on his unmade bed, but as soon as his face hit the pillow, Tori's scent filled his senses. Her perfume, her hairspray, her Downy clothes…

His eyes snapped open when it just got to be too much, and before he knew it, he was ripping the sheets and blankets off his bed. He wondered if he looked like a madman. Would anyone be too scared to help him if they saw him now?

He turned and left his bedroom, the bed undressed. He felt more than saw his way down the hall to the bathroom, slapping a hand over his eyes when he turned the bathroom light on. He shuffled his feet further in until he sensed the sink in front of him. He gripped onto the cool marble until his knuckles paled, squinting his right eye open slowly to look into the mirror.

Hardly recognizing himself, he leaned over the sink and hid his face in his arms. He listened to himself breath for a few minutes. He needed to get ahold of himself. He didn't want to accidentally fall asleep in the bathroom, but he didn't want to sleep in his bedroom. He had to go back downstairs and find the couch.

Andre tried to look up one more time, wanting to avoid his bloodshot eyes. Instead he saw the blue cup with his toothbrush in it. And next to his…was Tori's. Tori's purple Oral-B toothbrush. He thought back to the mornings they would wake up together and they would come in here to brush their teeth together. He loved watching her do it…she didn't have any grace brushing her teeth, but instead, she looked like a little kid learning to brush her teeth on her own. She would do it vigorously and albeit sloppily, but he never pointed it out because he didn't want her to stop.

It could be said that he took these moments for granted, but he certainly didn't. He lived each moment like it was the next lyric to a great song, especially his moments with her. He may not have her anymore, but no one could ever say that he took even the smallest things for granted.

Groaning with a deep inner pain, he pushed himself away from the sink and out into the hallway again. He felt like he was on a journey leading to nowhere. His mind didn't recognize his house, but his body did, so it led him to where he had to go.

Going down the stairs, he missed a few along the way, but somehow managed to make it without injuring himself (at least, not that he would be able to tell tonight). To go to the living room, he had to go through the kitchen—and this was where he remembered their talk just a few days ago.

"Screw you…" he mumbled out almost incoherently as he pointed at the refrigerator accusingly. He had to blame something…

* * *

><p>Tori and Beck both gasped as the steaming water shot against their bodies and the feeling of completeness overtook them.<p>

"I can't get enough of you…" Beck moaned as he entered her second after second, his hair matting to his face both from the water and from sweat. Every once in a while his right hand would prop her up further on the wall when she began slipping too low, but for the most part, his hands were flat against the shower wall beside her head.

Tori had a firm grasp around his waist to keep from moving too much, plus she was held against the wall pretty good. Every time they were together, she kept trying to wrap her mind around how it felt with him inside her. It was a feeling that was hard to describe—a sort of hunger that kept getting worse the more it was given. Only a small moment at the very end finally satisfied this hunger—this thirst, this desire, this ache, this craving…

If she focused hard enough, she could sometimes feel every little part of her that he was penetrating. She was aware of how she surrounded him and how he filled her to just the right point. How she would close around him to an almost inescapable hold when she was so close to getting her satiate.

Like now—her eyes were kept closed because the spray of the water was pointed almost directly at her. So she was only feeling and hearing. She loved the sound of their hips meeting, the sound of his heavy breathing, the sound of his hard swallows, and how his lips vibrated with a passion when they touched her.

It was all so overwhelming and bewildering and she loved it so much…

* * *

><p>Jade pressed her body against the wall beside the wounded photograph. With her cheek against the wall, she could only see the thin edge of the picture and the scissors that stuck straight out. Reaching up with a tentative hand, she watched her fingers curl around the sharp edges of the weapon.<p>

For a brief moment, she wished she was the stereotypical goth and cut her wrists. She never injured her skin despite what she might have told other people; she just never saw the whole point to it. But if ever there was a time, it would be now. The physical pain would be able to pinpoint. It would have an exact location. But this emotional pain…it was nowhere and everywhere and she _hated _it!

Angrily, she pulled the scissors out of the wall. Because they penetrated a hole through the picture, the photo was temporarily stuck to the wall. Before it had time to fall, she slammed the scissors right back in. She had no idea if they went into her face or Beck's this time, and truthfully, she didn't care.

She pulled them out only to slam them back in.

Again.

And again.

Closing her eyes, Jade pounded the scissors into the picture on the wall over and over until she felt shallow cuts begin to form in her palm from squeezing so tight. She listened to her heavy breathing.

She felt so mad at—everything, everyone, every, every, every…

Since she came back to LA, she admitted only to herself that she felt awful because of what she did to Andre. She knew that he was as innocent as her in all this, and yet she felt the need to attack him. Maybe it was because she knew she couldn't touch Beck and Tori any other way. If she wanted any chance at all to see them crumble, she had to do something drastic.

And yet, her plan failed. Beck and Tori are still together, and here she is, with scissors in her wall and cuts on her palm.

* * *

><p>Andre couldn't handle the living room, either. He thought about the times he and Tori sang together, wrestled together, watched TV together, did homework together, <em>were together.<em>

He was furious at himself for still thinking about her. The girl of his dreams. The girl that was one of a kind, the one that cheered him on even through his down times. The one that was able to argue with him one second, the make up with the next.

He was doing it again. He yelled as he picked something off the coffee table and threw it at the wall. It shattered as it made impact…he had no idea what it was; he would examine the damage in the morning.

Not wanting to take anymore, he made his way back to his front door that he didn't even close all the way on the way in. Stepping out onto the porch, he screamed, "Damn you, Tori!" into the night, not seeing anyone walking by but not really focusing on anyone either. He knew there were stairs in front of him, but he miscalculated their depth and ended up stumbling down them. He rolled onto the grass in his front yard with all his limbs outspread and stared up at the night sky. It was hard to see any stars in the heart of the city. There were a few, but they were very dim.

"You're not shining at all…" Andre (thought he) said, before closing his eyes. The grass felt cool yet sticky against him, and he figured this was as good a place as any to sleep. The sprinklers would come on in the morning and wake him up…

* * *

><p>"Yes…almost there…" Tori's voice echoed off the walls, her hips moving quickly with his as she felt that hunger she'd been craving about to reach its fulfillment.<p>

She felt her backend slam harshly against the wall, and it would probably leave bruises, but in this very instant, she couldn't care less. Beck's hands gripped the top of her thighs as he gave everything of himself to help her reach her destination (Tori was sure there would be bruises there as well).

Then there was deafening silence, a stillness of time, before an earthquake and the insanity of the best emotional and physical pleasure she could ever imagine. She was only able to pulsate around him for a few quick seconds before he had to pull away from her as his own decadence rushed through and out of him.

Their bodies were so tired that they both slipped to the warm, wet floor together. They spent a few seconds trying to catch their breath, then meeting eyes, and laughing. Laughing for no reason and for every reason. They pressed their foreheads together and sat tangled up in each other without a current care.

* * *

><p>Jade finally sunk to the floor, staring up at the scissors that hung from the wall. At this angle, they looked more dangerous than usual and she wondered if it would be a sign if they stayed in the wall. She glanced at her hurt hand with uncaring before squeezing it into a fist so she wouldn't accidentally smear some blood on something. Not that it was a whole lot…it was pretty much dry already anyway.<p>

She pulled her knees up to her chest and dangled her injured hand over her knee. She wished she had something to throw at the small lamp beside her bed so the darkness would engulf her.

* * *

><p>The next morning, as soon as the sun peaked over the horizon, the sprinklers came on.<p> 


	37. Golden Graduation: Part 1

**Final Project**

**XXXVI.**

The day of graduation came quicker than the blink of an eye. Helen wanted all the (highly) talented seniors to pitch in and help set up, but the majority of the student body decided they wouldn't show up until it was time to walk across the stage and receive their diploma.

Tori had convinced Beck to come, although, for the past few days, he seemed worried about something that he wasn't willing to talk to her about. She tried as hard as a non-pushy girlfriend could get to figure out what was going on with him, but he always said the same thing: "It's nothing…really."

Cat and Robbie came to help decorate and put up tables as well, but Andre and Jade were nowhere to be seen. The two of them had done a tremendous job of avoiding everyone (Cat and Robbie included), so their absence was really no surprise.

Tori and Cat were up on the stage hanging blue and gold streamers when Helen snuck up behind them.

"Okay, Ladies, here's the lineup!"

Tori jumped and Cat squealed and dropped the roll of streamer down to the ground. Looking over the edge, the three women saw the roll hit the cement and continue rolling in a straight line.

"Haha, it's like a colorful trail! I wonder if it leads to bibble…" Cat's eyes got wide with excitement as she grabbed ahold of Tori's arm.

Tori patted her hand gently, "There's no more bibble, Cat…"

Helen cleared her throat, obviously annoyed that she wasn't the center of attention. She gave the two teenagers a disapproving look before averting her eyes to her clipboard, "The schedule is as follows: Tori Vega, Cat Valentine, Jade West, Andre Harris, and then a duet with Andre and Tori. I assume all of you know what songs you will be performing and have worked it out with the musicians?"

By the way Helen asked it, it was better to just say yes even if it wasn't true. And in Tori's case, it was only half true.

Her and Beck spent the last few days figuring out a song for her to perform for graduation. And though he wasn't terrible at it (there was definitely less talented songwriters out there), he was no Andre Harris. And though she became better at songwriting just by doing it so long with Andre, it was true that all her better songs were primarily written by Andre.

They finally finished the night before, which took a load off her chest, but she still didn't know what was going to happen with her and Andre's duet. Apparently, both her and Andre tried to tell Helen that it wasn't going to happen, but as it was, _no one_ told Helen no.

"I got my song!" Cat announced, apparently very proud of herself. She wrapped a piece of her velvet red hair around her index finger as she gave Tori a nudge, "Tori's life inspired it."

"Should I be afraid…?" Tori asked slowly, not sure she if should trust that innocence shining in Cat's eyes.

Cat giggled, "No, there's no explosives."

Tori gave a look of uncertainty while Helen gave a low, "Well, all right then," and walked away.

"Yoo-hoo!" They heard a voice from the bottom of the stage. Both girls looked over the edge to see Robbie holding the golden streamer roll, "I think you dropped your golden hair, my fair lady!"

Tori rolled her eyes at this, but wasn't too surprised when it got Cat excited, "Ooo, Robbie, climb my hair and save me from this tower!" Cat tore off what her and Tori had already taped to the stage (much to Tori's dismay, but the damage was done before she could even utter a sound) and wrapped it around her hair that she put over one shoulder.

"Uh…" Robbie looked regretful now, "I don't think this will support my—."

_"Do it!" _Cat yelled in that loud, almost-crazy voice that only she can pull off.

Right away, Robbie jumped on the roll of streamer, only for it to snap halfway between the ground and the stage, leaving him to land on his butt.

Cat seemed worried as she looked over the edge, but Tori couldn't help but laugh a bit. _I'm gonna miss them…_

"Hey, Tori."

Tori turned around to see Beck standing right at the back of the stage holding a blue centerpiece in his right hand, and a gold centerpiece in his left. The shiny plastic pieces that sprayed from the center made it look like Beck was holding two small fireworks.

"Helen wants three of these on each table. Do you think I should put two blues and one gold, or two gold and one blue?"

She smiled at his uncertainty and thought it was cute that he came to her for decorating advice. It made her wonder if he would be like this when they found a place of their own in New York. She did a sort of happy skip over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. She could feel the plastic strands from the centerpieces tickling the back of her neck when Beck enclosed his arms around her as well.

Though she was still uncertain about where all of her friendships were going to end up (between not only Andre and Jade, but Cat and Robbie as well), her future with Beck was seeming more and more positive and she was so glad she had someone to share her future with. She was happy she had at least one person to hold onto.

"Three gold," she whispered in his ear before laughing and kissing him on the cheek, "Because I'm gold, baby!" Beck smiled back at her because he caught the joke and the reference.

* * *

><p><em>"I've tried to let it go, But these butterflies I can't ignore! 'Cause every time I look at you, know we're in a catch twenty-two!"<em>

Tori opened up graduation with a bang. She took center stage and instantly won the crowd, her smile so big that her cheekbones seemed more prominent than usual.

_"We've been friends for so long, but I need to tell you what's on my mind. I'm sick and tired of playing games! 'Cause I know that you feel the same!"_

Looking down, she saw a mass of people dancing, some by themselves and others with their good friends or better halves. The only one that wasn't dancing (that she could spot easily) was Beck. He was standing in the middle of the crowd, his hands in his pockets that made him seem so casual yet appealing at once.

Her eyes met his as she sang.

_"I know you inside out, so I'm asking now: Take a chance on me. How much clearer can I be?"_

His smirk grew as the beat picked up, and he nodded his head to the song…their song. A song he was actually able to write with Tori. He was now able to feel how proud Andre must have been all those times when Tori performed one of his songs. It was definitely an honor to be involved with someone with so much talent.

_"Hey, boy, whatcha gonna do? If you want me like I want you, then man up, and make your move. I'm—Go-ld, Go-ld! You, me, good as can be. Want to be more than your company. So bet your money on me. I'm—Go-ld. Go-ld!"_

As it would have it, Tori wore a short, white-golden dress that hugged her in all the right places. She wore minimal make-up and did nothing special with her hair, however, so the dress in no way made her look gaudy.

Beck wore a white-golden silk tie to match her attire, but although it was only a small piece of his three piece suit, it automatically connected the two of them as a couple at their graduation.

When Tori tore her eyes away from him to continue being her exuberant self on stage, he looked around to see if he spotted anyone he knew. His eyes did catch Cat and Robbie, and they looked like they were having some sort of serious conversation. He frowned, because he assumed the two of them would be the ones having the best time here. Robbie got up the nerve to ask Cat to be his date, she said yes (with no strings or complications attached), and they both were ecstatic about it. So what could be going on?

He considered going over there to see, but didn't want to disturb their moment in case it was something they had to get off their chests before high school was officially over.

He heard Tori's voice echoing throughout the area as his eyes settled on Jade. She was by the punchbowl with a red solo cup in her hand. She wore a pitch black dress with a gold belt wrapped around her center. She had her blue strands in her hair that somehow flowed and mixed-in like she was born with it.

Feeling eyes on her, Jade's eyes turned to meet his own. If he hadn't dated her for so long, his first instinct would have been to look away. But instead, he held her gaze. He tried to smile, to smirk, or even give a small tug of his lips, but nothing was happening. She remained straight-faced as well. And for the first time, he literally could not read a single thing in her eyes.

She turned away before he could try any harder.

Though he wanted to make amends, he knew graduation wasn't the place to do it; in fact, it would only cause a very bad scene.

He looked around for Andre. Nothing. Did Andre even show up? Did he somehow make arrangements to get his diploma without walking across the stage? That would be such a shame…Beck always pictured all of them walking together, going out to celebrate afterwards, reminisce on all the good times…

The people around him suddenly burst into loud applause and whistles as Tori's song ended. Beck clapped as well, waving his hand once through the air when Tori waved at him from the stage.

"And now, give it up for one of my best friends, the very talented, Cat Valentine!" Tori announced into the microphone.

Beck turned to where Cat and Robbie were talking and saw that Cat looked totally caught off guard. Her big eyes widened as she stared into the eager eyes of the seniors at Hollywood Arts. She turned her worry orbs back to Robbie, but he just nodded to the stage, mouthed, "Go on," and smiled sadly. Cat returned this smile before touching him on his upper arm, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, and running for the stage.

Now, more than ever, Beck was really concerned about what was going on between them. It looked like a sad breakup if he'd ever seen one, but were the two of them even dating?

Cat made it up to the stage as soon as slow music began to play. She took the microphone from Tori, gave her a huge hug, then turned to the audience.

_"I'd like to say we gave it a try…I'd like to blame it all on life. Maybe we just weren't right, but that's a lie…that's a lie."_

Tori made it to Beck at this point, her face giving off that glow she only gets after she's performed.

"You did great," he told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side. Their outside hands clasped together as they slow danced side-by-side, looking up at the gorgeous redhead with the amazing voice.

_"And we can deny it as much as we want, but in time our feelings will show…'Cause sooner or later we'll wonder why we gave up. The truth is everyone knows…"_

"I think something's going on between Cat and Robbie," Beck said lowly into Tori's ear, trying to make small conversation as the song played. The song just seemed so unlike the Cat he knew…she was always so happy and this was…well, sad. He glanced over at Robbie to now see him sitting in a chair and looking at the ground.

"Why do you say that?" Tori asked, laying her head on his shoulder as she continued to stare at Cat who seemed suddenly so different.

_"Almost, almost is never enough. So close to being in love. If I would have known that you wanted me, the way I wanted you, then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart, but right here in each other's arms…"_

"I saw them talking and it just seems like…" Beck trailed off, but he didn't have to finish. Tori understood just as much as Beck did. And listening to her song, Tori had to wonder if it was truly inspired by _her _life. There was something in Cat's voice that said it was a bit more personal than that…

"I don't think Andre showed up," Beck said as a sudden change of subject.

"I'm not too surprised," Tori admitted with an inner sigh. Though she was highly nervous about it, she was kind of hoping for one last duet with Andre, even if it was basically against his will. At this point, she would take whatever she could get. Of course, they would have had to sing one of their old songs, since they never got together to make one specifically for this night.

Beck rested his cheek against her forehead, "Do you think Helen will be mad?"

Tori laughed gently, "Yeah, but that's not gonna do much. I don't think she can just fail Andre because he didn't perform at something that's really only voluntary."

"Hope not…"

The crowd began clapping slowly yet appreciatively as Cat finished up her song.

_"Here we almost…we almost knew what love was. But almost is never enough."_

Cat smiled down at her audience, waving vigorously and giggling, "Thanks, everyone!"

Tori was always amazed at how quick Cat could change her tone. Was that song truly just a song, or did it have some deeper meaning in Cat's life? Tori figured she would just ask her next time she had a moment alone with her. Maybe she needed someone to talk to about it.

Little did she know that she would never get that opportunity…

()()()()()())()()()()()()()()

First and foremost, I'm like to apologize for two things: the long delay and the short chapter. Believe me, I've been wanting to update for some time now, but life has definitely happened again. I'm now working full time and going to school full time, so about time I come home and spend time with my very busy two-year-old, I'm too worn out to do anything about time I put him to bed. Plus, I was having a hard time thinking about what I wanted to write for this chapter. My muse, I think, had gone on vacation, so I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I'm hoping it'll lead to something good again

I do not own the songs. The one Tori sang is "Gold" by Victoria Justice, and the one Cat sang is "Almost Is Never Enough" by Ariana Grande. I love both of them.

So what's happened in this last month...hmm, well, I got that job, I finished up another semester of college, and...I turned 26! Yay! So I had a fun birthday. And that's about it, really.

Thank you all for your continual reviews and support. It still means so much to me, and I really hope I can get the next chapter out sooner than not. School is out for two weeks, so I'll see what I can do before September comes.

Oh, and I would like to thank whoever nominated me for the 2013 Topaz Awards for Best Bori. I got notified about a week ago of this...I don't know which one of you did it, but that was very sweet of you! So Thank You so much!

-Enula


	38. Golden Graduation: Part 2

**Final Project**

**XXXVII.**

"This is a song many of you may remember," Jade announced when she took the microphone from Cat. She stared down into the crowd, her harsh, unsmiling face causing a shiver to run down many people's spines. But then, she put on her infamous smirk, the one that let everyone know she was in control and there was nothing anyone could do about it, "I tweaked it a bit, because life needs tweaking sometimes."

Then the music started right away. Beck and Tori automatically caught on to the tune…it was the song Jade wrote and performed a few years back. She had dedicated it to Beck while they were in the middle of an ongoing fight. The song worked like a charm back then; as soon as it was over, Beck was by her side, telling her he missed her.

_"You think you know me but you don't…know me. You think you own me but you can't…control me!"_

And Tori still remembered that day perfectly…

* * *

><p><em>Tori had just walked into the school building when she knew something was off. The hallways were way too quiet and one single voice was way too loud. <em>

_Beck and Jade were having an argument; Jade's voice was echoing off the walls while Beck maintained his quiet mode, though it wasn't hard to tell that that mode was about to be replaced very shortly._

_"Beck, why can't you just do this _one _thing for me!?" Jade yelled with anger and hurt. She had Beck backed up against a couple lockers, and she looked determined to get her way one way or the other._

_"Don't talk like I never do anything for you," Beck countered with an even tone, "I just don't think this is a good idea…"_

_"It's not about what you _think, _it's about what you'll _do!"

_"Well, that certainly doesn't sound very fair."_

_Jade groaned in frustration and turned her head away from him in disgust. That's when she noticed that everyone in the hall had their backs to them, but their heads turned toward them at just the right angle to see everything that was happening, but not making it look too obvious._

_Which it was, anyway._

_"Who wants to tango?!" Jade screamed as she pulled a pair of scissors from her handbag. Instantly, the hall was empty except for the unhappy couple and Tori._

_Tori was sure she should make her presence scarce as well, but for some reason, she never knew how to leave well enough alone when it came to her friends fighting._

_"We'll discuss this later," Jade said with venom. That's when she noticed Tori taking cautious steps towards them. She didn't call her out for it, she just simply turned on her heel and walked toward Sikowitz's class, "Andre's already in class," she yelled over her shoulder before she disappeared inside._

_Ever since Tori and Andre let their friends know that they were dating, Jade's attitude towards her had positively increased dramatically. She now wasn't always yelling at her, mocking her, or insulting her (though those still had occurrences). _

_She watched as Beck pressed his back against the lockers and ran his hand down his face with defeat. She felt a bit nervous, because in all reality, this was the first time it was just the two of them since the whole Platinum Music Awards "mishap." Though she felt almost positive that everything was fine between them (after all, he went straight back to Jade and Tori was dating Andre now), she still felt a pang in her chest when talking with him one on one._

_Still…she didn't want to simply walk away from him when he looked so down. She was still his friend after all, so doing so would seem way too cold._

_"Everything okay…?" she asked timidly, taking a few more steps toward him but making sure not to break at least a ten foot distance._

_Sighing loudly, Beck shifted his bag, "No. Yeah…yeah, everything's fine, thanks."_

_Tori raised an eyebrow at his response. It seemed so unlike him to say something like that…and not only that, but he was obviously lying (and she wasn't just basing that off of what she just saw)._

_"Okay, well if there's anything I can do to help…" Tori trailed the last bit off. She basically said it out of common courtesy, but before she could walk away and separate herself from him once again, he stopped her._

_"Wait, I need your opinion on something…"_

_Tori tried her hardest to hide her discomfort and lack of willfulness, "Okay…"_

_"Say we were dating…" he began, which made Tori look around in fear. He _hypothetically _asked her a question like this before, around the time she first started going to Hollywood Arts. Jade didn't like that at all, and she was sure she wouldn't like it now. _

_Beck may have felt a similar uncertainty upon starting a statement with that, but he had already assumed that the reason Tori didn't kiss him that night was because she liked Andre, so to him, he was just trying to move on without seeming weird._

_"And you kinda needed to do a certain thing, so you agreed, but only if I would do it too, and the catch is, you plan on not doing this thing at all and leaving me to do it all," Beck explained the situation in code._

_Tori tried to wrap her mind around Jade's secret scheme, "Umm…well, if I was planning that, why would I even tell you I was not doing it?"_

_"Because there's really no way of hiding it. I would go to your door to pick you up, so even if you told me then, I would just end up not doing it as well."_

_She put some of his new words together, "Okay, so since you're picking me up, I'm assuming we need to go somewhere. Meet someone, probably, since why else would it matter if I left you?"_

_Beck grinned at her, which made her cheeks turn a light pink, "You're a smart one. So yeah…why would I bother going when you're not even going, and it's _your _thing?"_

_All the "you" and "I" talk was starting to get to her, so she had to bring the conversation back around, "If you don't feel comfortable doing whatever it is, then just tell Jade that."_

_"I did."_

_"Then…" Tori wanted nothing more than to let it go now. It was weird standing so far away from him while having a conversation like this and she just wanted to get into class and sit next to Andre and try to ignore what was going on with Beck and Jade because she just didn't want to think about "Beck and Jade" yet!_

_"Then…?" Beck urged, believing she had some wise advice._

_She sighed and brought her bag further up on her shoulder, "I don't know; I don't want to get in the middle of it." And with that, she turned and walked into the classroom, her heart still heavy as she dropped her numb body in the seat beside Andre._

_"Hey, Baby Girl, what's—," he stopped when he got a good look at her crestfallen face, "You okay?"_

_Tori slowly raised her eyes to his and he knew instantly that it had something to do with Beck. He had only been dating Tori a few weeks, so it wasn't anything serious and he had sympathy for her pained and confused feelings. When the classroom door opened, Andre looked back to see Beck walk in and sit a few seats away from Jade. Looking back at Tori, he saw that she lowered her eyes again. So he slumped back in his seat, like she was, and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders._

_Tori never found out what happened with the situation, because Beck never brought it up again. All she knew, was that a few days later, Jade was singing "You Don't Know Me" to him and they were kissing again._

* * *

><p><em>"You look at me and there's nothing that you see. You stopped listening…stopped listening!"<em>

Around them, the other seniors were jumping and swinging their hair around as they danced to the song, but it just made Beck and Tori feel even more out of place than they felt since they returned.

_"You hurt me good…I'll hurt you worse! Harder! Harder! Talk is cheap. I'll scream at you! Louder! L-l-l-louder!"_

Not sure what to do with her eyes, Tori began looking around for Cat. She was hoping she would come over to her when she got down from the stage, but she didn't even see a flash of red anywhere. Tori stood on her tiptoes as she tried to scan the crowd.

"You looking for Andre?" Beck asked her over the loud music.

Tori shook her head and opened her mouth to say Cat's name, but that's when she spotted Robbie who was, incidentally, talking to Andre. She patted Beck on the shoulder and then pointed to what she saw. Her and Beck then met eyes.

"You gonna go ask him about that song?" Beck yelled in her ear, but Tori just bit her lip. She knew she should, just so she would know what was really going to go on in a few songs, but the thought of trying to talk to him again was nerve-wracking.

_"And the longer that you stay, my heart is breaking…And you need to go away, to go away…"_

This little bit that was very different than how he remembered it caught Beck's attention as he turned his eyes back to the stage. Jade seemed to be staring right at him already.

_"You hurt me good…I'll hurt you worse! Harder! Harder! Talk is cheap. I'll scream at you! Louder! L-l-l-louder!"_

Beck tried his best to apologize with his eyes despite the great physical and emotional distance between the two of them, but Jade either ignored it or didn't catch it.

"Oh, it looks like he's going up on stage now," Tori said as she gripped Beck's arm. He looked away from the stage and toward Tori, watching as her eyes followed Andre into the crowd. He was kind of worried for her, because he knew Andre was most likely going to sing a song that portrayed his emotions….for as long as Beck knew him (which was a very long time…about seven or eight years), that's what he's always done. He was sure Tori was aware of this somehow, but she didn't quite come to grips with it.

So much for an enjoyable graduation party.

"Hey, let's go talk to Robbie," he suggested, hoping that would at least distract her a little bit more.

"Okay, maybe he knows where Cat is," Tori agreed, slipping her hand easily into his so they didn't lost each other in the crowd.

When the couple reached him, he was again looking forlornly at the ground. Guess they weren't the only ones not having a great time.

"Hey, Robbie," Tori greeted, putting on a big smile when Robbie looked up, "Where'd Cat go?"

Robbie just shook his head, "She said she didn't want to be here anymore."

Tori's eyes widened and Beck felt her grip on his hand tighten, "What…?"

The moment was temporarily broken as the crowd broke into a chant of calling Andre's name. Tori looked over her shoulder, her hair tickling her bare back as she watched Andre put his guitar strap over his head and put the microphone in the stand.

"Hey, everyone," he spoke, causing the crowd to applause and scream for him more.

Tori looked around at everyone, realizing that these people were Andre's very first big fans. He was already a legend at Hollywood Arts and he didn't even leave yet. She smiled softly to herself. _Andre's going to become a huge success…I can't wait to see his name everywhere…_

"This is a song I wrote the last time I was at Kara_OKAAAAY," _And, of course, the audience went crazy again when Andre's got Lil' Jon's trademark word just right, "Here goes."

Right away, beautiful yet austere music filled all their ears, and Tori couldn't help the goose bumps that tightened her skin…the reaction she got when she first heard any of his songs. But this one felt different, because if her guess was correct, the last time he was at Kara_OKAAAAY _was when Jade threatened to call the police. Which meant this was the song he was writing the last time she tried to talk to him.

_"Break down, I can see you're upset; so high, but I didn't help it, I wish I could just forget…you. Up now, heartbeat's racing. One touch, now I'm faking. This time, there's no escaping…you." _

Then Andre sang into the microphone with so much raw emotion that it made Tori relive all those night in Japan when she lied to him, and the night he caught her cheating, and their failed conversations afterward…

_"Where's my angel?! Go on and take my life! Where's my angel!? I need someone here tonight!"_

She felt tears sting her eyes, because she realized how badly she let her best friend down. She knew that he basically put her on a pedestal; to him, she could do no wrong. She had the perfect voice, the perfect personality, the perfect material to be his girlfriend…in his words, she was his angel. Fallen angel.

_"So cold, but you have my body. One kiss, and this is gonna haunt me. My God, you look so lovely…girl," _He met her eyes for a brief moment, but it seemed to be too much for him, for he was looking straight ahead the next second, _"Heart's gone, tonight is your chance."_

He looked at her again, _"You trade love for a little romance. Too late! This will be the last dance…girl."_

Upon these lines, Tori looked away. Is that really what Andre thought? That she traded in something real with him for something fake and shallow with Beck? _How _dare _he think that! _When did it ever seem like this was some sort of fling?! If it was, wouldn't she have left Beck as soon as they left Japan?

"Don't let it get to you," she heard Beck say gently into her ear. She looked at him and realized that he must have noticed her reactions etched on her face.

"Your little hookup did ruin a lot, you know?" Robbie spoke up randomly.

Beck and Tori both turned to him with shock.

_"You say you want it, you love me then thought it…"_

"Rob, listen, I know that—," Beck tried to begin, raising his hand to put on Robbie's shoulder.

Robbie shrugged him off before he could even do that, "I don't think you do know! I don't know if either of you noticed, but this whole night is a flop! This whole week was a flop! Everything was just so…floppy!"

_"You're breaking my heart and you're taking me down!"_

His use of the word _floppy _may have been slightly humorous under any other pretenses, but Beck and Tori could definitely sense that he was pretty pissed.

"You wanna know where Cat is? Truth is, _I _don't even know, but she couldn't take all this hostility anymore. You know how she faints when people fight! Well, this time was even worse! You know how many times she fainted on me this week?" Robbie yelled, and though it seemed like a hypothetical question, he looked annoyed when they didn't answer, "Four-and-a-half!"

Tori had the slight urge to ask how someone can faint only half a time, but didn't want to lose focus on the main point at hand, "So she just…left? It's graduation, all of us will be leaving soon anyway! Beck and I—."

Robbie shook his head, "You don't get Cat's mind, do you?" He put his forefinger to the side of his head, "She doesn't see things like the rest of us do. She tried so hard to stick it out this week and try not to take sides, but it was destroying her! I convinced her to come tonight in the stupid hopes that maybe the six of could have fun together…like the rest of high school was. It just made her more anxious."

The crowd broke into whistles and applause as Andre's song ended.

"Tori…aren't you due for a duet with Andre now?" Beck asked gently, knowing she was getting a lot thrown at her at once. First it was Andre's song, now the news that they may never see Cat again.

"Right…" Tori answered distantly before turning and walking briskly to the stairs that would lead her to the stage.

Beck watched her go, but his heart sank when he saw Andre leave the stage the same time Tori was heading for it. _He's not gonna do it…_Beck thought to himself downheartedly. He figured Tori would run into him along the way and decide what to do then (he hoped she would think fast), but before he knew it, he saw Tori up on stage, who looked utterly shocked to find that Andre was not there.

"Andre's leaving, too," Robbie publicized to Beck. When Beck turned back to him in shock, Robbie explained further: "He just told me he got some record deal with IVM Music…or something close to that. It's in Miami."

Beck's eyes widened, "In Florida?"

Robbie cocked his head to the side, "There's another Miami?"

Beck was sure there was, but didn't feel like saying so, "So he's just…leaving? Now? _Right _now?"

Robbie shrugged, "I guess. He said he planned on driving there."

_"Here's to us, uh-oh…" _

Beck heard Tori begin singing, though there was no music playing. He recognized the song…it was the song her and Andre sang during the Cow Wow. But the version she was singing now was very slow and unplugged…it seemed to give the words a whole new meaning.

_"Here's to…never winning first place. Here's to…crying on your birthday. Here's to…" _Tori paused and Beck watched as she wiped a tear from her cheek, "_every single heartbreak…"_

Beck just happened to look at the right spot at the right time. He saw Andre gathering up a few of his instruments and heading to the parking lot. Beck broke out into a sprint in an attempt to catch him before he sped away.

_"Here's to the mistakes…somehow they always drop you in the right place…"_

Oh, the pain their mistakes caused! When it came down to it, everything was getting ready to crumble as soon as the Platinum Music Awards ended. All of it was bound to come full circle and here it was. All of their friends were splitting and go separate ways and there was no time for second chances.

"Andre!" Beck yelled as he watched Andre open his trunk.

Andre turned around when he heard his name, but it showed that he instantly regretted acknowledging Beck. Still, he gave a short, dry, "Hey."

"You're, uh…seriously going to Miami?" Beck asked, shoving one hand in his pocket while the other ran back through his hair.

Sighing irritably, Andre threw some drum sticks into his trunk, "Man, Robbie can't keep a secret worth shit."

"I don't think he realized it was supposed to be a secret…" Beck said in Robbie's defense.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Andre snapped, shifting a lot of things in his trunk before slamming it closed, "Everything else around here is a secret."

"Look…man, I know you're pissed and you have a right to be"—Beck noticed Andre roll his eyes—"but Tori…she'd really like to—."

"Tori and I already had a couple failed discussions. It's over," Andre opened up his passenger side back door and picked up his keyboard from the ground.

"Okay, well then have a discussion with me," Beck said with edge in his voice. He was tired of tiptoeing around Andre, "What was up with that line in your song? Something about…"trading love for a little romance?" You really think that's all me and Tori have?"

"I dunno" Andre mumbled as he put the keyboard in the car, "You know what they say: Relationships with the hottest beginnings have the coldest endings."

"Our relationship has been beginning for…_years _now. There was nothing—."

"Shut the hell up!" Andre yelled as he slammed his car door shut. He finally turned and looked Beck straight in the eye, "You have _no _idea what you're talking about! You don't know what it was like for us these last few years! Whatever she told you, there's more than she's letting on," he paused, calmed himself a bit, "There has to be…"

Beck's form slumped. He realized that he couldn't be angry at Andre for anything, especially when it was just some song lyrics in the midst of the whole big picture. Andre was entitled to his opinion on how he saw things, and from his point of view, what Beck and Tori had was nothing more than a cheap lie.

"Aren't you at least gonna get your diploma?" Beck asked, because he didn't know what else to say about their relationships with Tori.

"They'll just mail it," Andre waved it off, making it apparent that that was the least for his worries, "I just want to get a head start on the drive."

Beck nodded as he watched Andre go around to the driver's side and open the front door.

"Have a safe trip," he turned to walk away.

"Beck," Andre called out, sounding somewhat uncertain. When Beck turned back around, Andre put his elbow on his hood as he cradled his forehead in his open palm. He looked conflicted and seemed to hate himself for what he was about to ask, "Why'd you do that to me? I mean…you were my best friend and you know I love her…"

First thing Beck noticed was how he kept it in the present tense. There was no _loved. _And it made his answer all the harder to find…because truth was, he really didn't have one. What kind of guy was he, really, to do that to his best friend?

"I guess 'cause…I love her, too," was all he could think of.

Andre looked away, taking his elbow off the roof. Beck could still see his profile so he could tell Andre wanted to say something else. He wouldn't have been surprised if it was something along the lines of "I love her more." But of course, when you grow up, that kind of line just sounds silly and childish, despite the many truths that lie behind it.

But he didn't say anything. Instead, he got in his car, started it up, and drove away without even looking back. Beck pressed the bottom of his palms to his forehead and looked up at the night sky. He heard Helen's voice in the microphone telling the seniors to line up to receive their diplomas.

_Almost done…_

_()()()()()()()()()()()()()_

All right! Well, Jade's song is Liz Gillies' "You Don't Know Me", Andre's song is "Where's My Angel" by Metro Station, and Tori's song is "Here's 2 Us". All beautiful songs, none are owned by me. Sad face!

So this was the second part of their graduation. I'm sorry some of you thought, from the last line in the previous chapter, that I was planning on killing someone off. I didn't realize it sounded like that until it was mentioned in reviews...I guess sometimes you don't think about stuff like that when YOU know what you mean. In my head, I was thinking about how Cat separated herself from everyone at Hollywood Arts and met with with Sam (thus creating a new show all together). And since my story is ending soon, I figured I would incorporate that in here as well.

Also, I don't know if you guys (meaning, my reviewers) never got the chance to sit down and read the last chapter or didn't like it or are just getting bored with this stoy, but I didn't get a lot of feedback from the last chapter, which made me believe that the time for the end os definitely drawing near. I'm gonna try to wrap everything up before this story loses it's popularity all together. Maybe I'll even try to post the very last part on September 16, because that would mark exactly 2 years for this story. Yay!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! It means a lot!

-Enula


	39. Karma

_Warning: Contains some sexual content. You have been warned._

**Final Project**

**XXXVIII.**

Tori was certain she would never forget the looks on people's faces when Andre's and Cat's names were called to receive their diplomas, yet there was no such person to take that stupid piece of paper that was then simply put to the side. She was also certain she would never forget the feeling of death breathing down her neck as she stood in line to receive her stupid piece of paper. She wished Jade's last name didn't come right after hers in the line. She wished Cat was there so she would at least have the bubbly redhead in front of her. Robbie was slightly too far ahead of her in line to consider (though it seemed like Robbie was done with her as well), and Beck was even further ahead.

She thought about these feelings as she sat on the far end of her couch. In the _comfort _of her own home. With Beck sitting at the other end, staring blankly as the TV that featured a weird show about celebrities breathing underwater.

They were both still wearing their graduation clothes, but neither felt very glamorous. Tori had kicked off her heels and had her knees pulled up to her chest. She was busy taking off the golden nail polish that decorated her toe nails. The color just didn't feel right.

The acetone smell filled the entire room and it was giving Beck a headache. He had his elbow resting on the armrest and his forehead cradled in his hand. Tori had the show turned down too low to hear anything, though it didn't seem like there was anything worth listening to.

They were both upset by the way graduation turned out, but haven't said a word to each other about it. What was there to say, really? Should they talk about how they ruined every friendship they had? How they made their friends stop being friends?

Nothing seemed like a healthy conversation starter.

Tori blew gently down on her toes to dry the polish remover, her mind trying to settle on a color that would work better. Blue? Red? Black?

_Too Jade…_

_"I want to go back to my place…"_

This was the only thing Tori said to him since they left the "party." He didn't respond, nor did he ask if he could join her; he just did. Because the thought of going back to his empty RV without her seemed like too much for him to handle.

Thankfully, Tori didn't care about this arrangement, and Beck even speculated that she simply assumed he would stay with her.

Maybe they just needed the bigger space. After all, they had just as much privacy at Tori's house as they did at his place. Trina was still off at college, her dad was working, and her mom was…well, not home.

Was this bigger space why they felt so distant? Ever since they got together, they've either been in a hotel room or Back's RV. Was there more to their relationship than just one room?

"I'm gonna make hot cocoa," Tori said suddenly, breaking the silence in such a loud way that Beck _almost _jumped, "You want some?"

Beck glanced over at her without removing his hand from his forehead, "Uh…no thanks, it's too hot in here for that." He watched as she gave a single nod before stretching her long, bare legs down to the floor and taking quiet steps into the kitchen.

"I'll take some lemonade if you have any, though," he chimed, in case she felt like she needed to get him something…_anything._

"I can make some for you," Tori replied generously, reaching in the cabinet to grab the items she needed.

Beck called his thanks before turning back to the TV. Tori got out the canister of sugar and tub of pink lemonade. She then stood on her bare tiptoes to reach for a hot cocoa pack. She ended up grabbing two that were stuck together by a dotted line. She couldn't believe these two packs were still in the cupboard. It was the exact same packets her and Andre decided, before they left to their respective countries, to save for when they got back.

_"Why can't we just drink them now? I'm sure my mom will buy more for when we get back," Tori asked as she stared longingly at the hot cocoa._

_Andre shook his head, "What if she forgets 'cause we're not here bugging her to get more? Then we came back all excited for a nice cup of hot cocoa for nothing."_

_"We could always go out for some…?" Tori suggested, truly craving a cup right then._

_Andre smiled sympathetically and wrapped an arm around her, "It just wouldn't be the same, Baby Girl. It just wouldn't be the same…"_

Tori got snapped from her memories when she heard the doorknob on the front door jiggle. She looked up from the packets of cocoa and saw Beck's eyes turn towards the door as well. Tori couldn't quite place her thoughts from the moment she heard her mother giggling flirtatiously to the moment she saw Holly stumbling in with Gary, her father's coworker, directly behind her.

The two adults both wore huge smiles, but as soon as Holly's eyes fell on Beck, her lips turned upside down.

"Beck…?"

Beck gave a short, half wave, "Hello…"

Holly's eyes then scanned the room quickly before falling on Tori's. Tori's facial expression didn't give away anything of what she might have been thinking, but Holly could feel Gary shifting uncomfortably from behind her and hear him quietly clearing his throat.

"Tori, I…I wasn't expecting to see you. How was graduation?" Holly asked, grasping onto her purse strap so tight that her knuckled paled. She walked further into her house, glad that Gary stayed in the doorway.

"It was fine," Tori said shortly with tight lips. Her hands were squeezing the packets of cocoa, "Didn't you see Beck's car parked on the street?"

"I…I didn't even…" Holly didn't finish, but it was obvious that the reason she didn't notice Beck's car was because her attention was focused elsewhere.

Tori broke her stare with her mother. She couldn't bear to look into her guilty eyes any longer. She instead focused on the brown packs held in her manicured fingers, "You forgot to buy more hot cocoa. These are our last two packs."

Holly narrowed her eyebrows, confused about her daughter's words, "I'll…umm…add that to my grocery list."

Beck stood up from the couch, wondering if he should get Tori out of this awkward situation or if she should stay and talk to her mother about this. He looked over to the older man who was clearly embarrassed. And Beck felt like shit when he felt nothing but empathy for the man. After all, it wasn't that long ago when Beck was the other man caught with a taken girl.

"Tori and I were about to go out and have a late night dinner," Beck announced, glancing back toward Tori to see if she would follow along.

Tori's mind was still racing. Or was it blank? What was going on anyway? Was she seeing something different than what it was? Was it "not what it looks like"? Her mother didn't give her that line, but she wasn't sure if it was because it would make Holly look too guilty, or if it was because it was _exactly _what it looked like.

Why didn't anything make sense anymore?

"Tori?" Beck called, hoping she would do something besides stand there.

"Right," Tori said hastily, throwing the packs on the counter, "Dinner. Gotta go."

Holly's shoulders slumped as Tori hurried her way around the counter. The older woman threw her arms in the air before letting them fall loudly against her sides, "Tori, maybe you should stay so we can talk about—."

Tori held her hand up as she reached down to grab her shoes, "Mm-mm, no, I don't think so, Mom. I think maybe you and him"—she couldn't bring herself to say Gary's name—"should talk, but not us."

Beck and Tori headed for the door with Gary, despite his usual suave, graceful self, stumbling to get out of their way to avoid any collisions (like that usually happened when someone was leaving).

Tori left ahead of Beck, but he didn't bother to shut the door behind him. Still, even before they got all the way down the walkway, he heard the door close.

Tori was walking so briskly in front of him that Beck had to do a few jogs just to try to keep up.

"Tori, are you—."

_"FUCK!" _She yelled at the top of her lungs before throwing her heels straight at Gary's car.

Now it's very hard to scare Beck. This was proven around the time his gang met up with the iCarly crew at Kenan Thompson's house. But this time…his body and heart actually jumped and his hand reached over his heart to feel the hard, frightened thumping of his usually strong organ.

His eyes widened when he saw Tori actually pick up a rock, not really a large one, but big enough to do damage, and pull back her arm to aim it at Gary's window.

"_Tori! _Tori, stop!" Beck grabbed her wrist to stop her from doing something she'd regret.

"_Let me go_!" Tori screamed with such conviction and power that she was able to pull herself way quite easily from his grasp. Still, she didn't throw the rock. She instead squeezed the solid object tightly in her fist, feeling like it was the only solid thing in her life and she'd be damned if she let it go.

Beck didn't know what to say, nor do. He'd never seen Tori lose it like this, not even when Ponnie was around.

Tori spun away from Beck, feeling somewhat ashamed of how she was acting, but too angry to stop herself, "So _this _is what karma is?! _This?! _All of _this?!"_

Her voice screeched from the pressure she was putting on it to keep herself from crying.

Wanting more than anything to wrap his arms around her to make her pain go away, Beck instead shoved his hands in his pockets to allow her to vent some of her pent up resentment.

Tori swallowed hard, her breathing became uneven, then she began speaking as though she had to verify everything in her life was real, "_First, _I can't get the guy of my dreams, _then _when I do, I lose my four best friends, _destroy_ the trust of an awesome guy, and _ now _my parents could get a divorce?!" Tori threw the rock at the ground, which caused Beck to jump again because it honestly looked like it was going to collide right with Tori's left foot.

Tori spun back around to face him, "This explains everything! Like mother, like daughter, right? I'm a cheater, _just like her!"_

"Tori…" Beck said gently, not wishing to rile her up anymore, "Don't say that…"

"But it's true!" She crossed her arms to hug herself like she was cold, despite the muggy night air, "You shouldn't be with me Beck…I'm only going to end up cheating on you, too."

Sighing silently, Beck took his hands from his pockets and took a step towards her, "Don't say that, Sweetie, you—."

Tori shook her head and hugged herself tighter, taking a step away from him, "It's true. We should have never started anything."

"Tori!" Beck didn't care if she didn't want to be touched. Her grasped her shoulders and shook her none-so-gently, "I know it seems like everything is going to hell, but we—."

"'We still have each other.' Right? Is that what you're going to say? Because who knows how long—," Beck shut her up by kissing her. Hard. Their faces smashed together and he gripped onto the back of her head for dear life. When he pulled away, he kept their forehead together, their heavy breathing mixing collectively.

"We're going to New York together soon, right? We'll start over. A new, fresh start," He realized he sounded more frantic than usual, almost as frantic as Tori, and he wondered if they were both losing their minds, "We'll get our own place, make new friends…start a family…"

Tori's eyes closed in bliss at this last part, a soft moan actually escaping her lips, "That sounds…"

Knowing Tori would never be able to find a human word to describe how that sounded to both of them, Beck just nodded, "We can do this…"

Tori swallowed and licked her overly dry lips, "Can we leave tomorrow? Just…get outta here?"

Her eyes slowly opened and searched his, both of their orbs dancing around the others. Beck wanted nothing more than to proclaim an excited _YES _at this suggestion, but that small voice in the back of his mind kept telling him that maybe he should wait for that acceptance letter from the college first. But who knows how long that could take? If Tori wanted to leave tomorrow, he couldn't keep putting it off.

"Yes…" Beck heard himself saying, "We can leave tomorrow…"

Tori finally unfolded her arms from between them and tangled her fingers in his hair, "You're the best."

Beck chuckled lowly and kissed her softly, "I know." They kissed again and Beck was just happy he was able to promise her something positive, "Now how about that dinner?"

"Something like that…" she said, but broke away from Beck before he could question what she meant. He watched her as she ran over and grabbed her heels from beside Gary's car. Beck took out his keys and clicked the button to unlock the doors.

He opened the driver's door and slipped into the seat, surprised when Tori hopped quickly into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. Before he could process anything else, Tori was leaning across the seat and kissing him with a fierceness he wasn't quite used to seeing in her yet.

Tori threw her shoes in the backseat before climbing up to her knees to crawl closer to Beck. She had yet to break lip contact, but she was somehow managing the multitasking as she ended up in his lap.

Beck's hands landed on top of her bare thighs, just then remembering how short her dress was. Her own hands were placed on each side of his face, keeping him in place as she kissed and licked his lips.

His thumbs pressed into the inside of her thighs making her body jerk in response. Though her frame was tiny, the cramped space made her butt hit the horn. The loud _beeeep _echoed on the empty street, causing both of them to laugh at their incident.

"You think we should head out?" Beck asked despite staring lustfully up into her gorgeous chocolate eyes.

"Your windows are tinted," Tori said bluntly as her right foot reached down to beneath the seat. She found the bar she was looking for, pressing it up to make the seat slide as far back as it could go, "That's better."

Beck couldn't help but smirk, "Wow, that takes talent," he said before Tori pressed their lips together once again. They both groaned and Beck pressed his thumbs into her thighs again, massaging them closer and closer to her center.

She began to grind on top of him, breaking away enough to say, "I love you so much, Beck," before reach down between them to unbutton and unzip his trousers. It was a lot easier to do with him in a suit than if he was wearing jeans.

"Mm…" Beck reached for her hand with his right one, stopping her momentarily, "Tori, maybe we should—," he got cut off when she kissed him deeply, "—wait 'til we get back. I don't have any—," more kissing, "—protection…"

She brought her hand up, thus bringing his up, as well. She raised them up to eye level before smoothing her lips over the sensitive part of his wrist, right below his palm.

As far as Beck remembered, no one had ever kissed him there, but it was very surprising to realize how sensitive the area was. His mouth dropped open in a silent moan as he watched her kiss and suckle on his wrist.

_This shouldn't be this tormenting…_

When she finally took a small piece of skin between her teeth, it was all over. He pressed his thumb from his other hand right into core. His hand that had been holding onto hers lost its grip as her hand once again found its way to his pants.

The next few seconds were a rushed blur, for before either of them knew it, Tori was sinking down onto him, their gasps mingled together.

She began moving on him before he could regain any of his sense, and with the position he was in, he had very little say in the movement and speed that she was in control of.

"Oh, damn, Tori…" he groaned out, his hand closest to the door going from her hip to smashing against the cool window. About time Tori had her lips on the side of his neck, his hand was scrambling for the oh-shit-handle. Once he found that, he was able to do something like mock pull ups to get his hips to meet hers half way.

Beck was truly amazed at the transformation in Tori. She may still be that sweet girl that the whole world sees, but behind closed doors, she was something else. And he couldn't believe that he was the only one that ever got to see this side of her. The only one that ever will. He swore that.

He recognized her change in breathing, the kind of short, sporadic intakes she begins doing when she's close to an amazing orgasm. He rubbed his thumb in just the area he knew would send her flying, and sure enough, she rocked hard against him, pressing down onto him in a way that made him twitch continuously with excitement.

Hearing her moan like that in his ear caused his body to go into auto-mode. He began thrusting his hips intensely, and he was only a _teeny _bit aware that he should do something before he did anything that could potentially get her pregnant, and there was a part of him that knew he should be worried, but before he could think of anything, Tori was unlatching herself from him and then moving to a position that had her mouth in the place she was not two seconds before.

"Tori, what are you—!" She had never done this before, nor had he expected her to (not for awhile anyway), and the sheer surprise of it all made him lose it in a quick second.

The heat in the car had them both sweating, their wet hair matting to their faces. It was hard to breathe, and Beck was still trying to wrap his head around what had just transpired. Through half-lidded eyes, he watched her sit back in the passenger seat and wipe at the sides of her mouth with her thumb.

She grinned at him, "Let's go home and get cleaned up."

He swallowed roughly at the purity in her voice. How could someone who just did _that _sound so innocent? It was mind boggling. And very erotic.

* * *

><p>About time they pulled up next to Beck's RV, Tori seemed ready to go again. There was just some sort of healing power when it came to making love to Beck, and she just wanted to make the power work, over and over and over and over.<p>

"Race ya," she said playfully as she jumped out of the car and ran to his RV, barefoot, wrinkled dress, messy hair, and all. Beck grinned as he watched his gorgeous girlfriend run ahead of him. He didn't mind if she won…he was enjoying the view way too much.

She jumped up the steps and unlocked the door (he had made her a spare key earlier in the week). Once she was in the doorway, she turned around to see where he was. When she saw him still standing by his car, she smirked suggestively and did the _come-hither _finger gesture before disappearing inside.

Seeing her do that made his body come to life once again. He walked towards his RV, slowing down when he noticed an envelope sitting on his steps. His mom must have left it there.

Once he got close enough, he realized it was a letter from NYCDA. He had only sent in his application a few days ago…certainly he couldn't have gotten a response this quick? And though he had promised Tori they would leave tomorrow, seeing that letter there concerned him. No news was good news, right? So what was early news?

Sighing, he reached down for it and ripped it open. No use in delaying seeing what was in the envelope; it wasn't going to change from now to later.

Pulling out the folded piece of paper, he only noticed the schools name and address and his name and address on the first fold. But upon opening it further, when he read the opening line:

_Dear Beck,_

_ We regret to inform you_

Beck didn't have to read anymore. No acceptance letter started out that way. Whatever the school's reasons were, it didn't change the circumstance that he was not accepted into Tori's college.

He flung the paper down to his side and raked his hand through his hair, scratching his scalp as he went.

_Shit…now what am I going to do? Put off college for at least a year? _

He knew that would be a horrible idea. Statistics show that if high school students don't go to college right away, they won't be going for quite a long time. In a year, he may have already found a good paying job that he isn't willing to leave to attend classes. Or if he didn't find a job, how would he pay for college then, anyway?

Did either of them even have a plan on how they intended to live comfortably in New York? New York is one of the most expensive places to live…would they manage? Because even if Tori had planned on living in one of the school's dorms, she certainly couldn't be thinking that way now that she planned on living with Beck. They would have to find an apartment.

"Beck?"

He turned around to see her standing in the doorway. She now had a concerned look in her soft eyes, "What's wrong?"

Sighing, he dropped his head. _Great…have to give her more bad news…_

_()()()()()()()()()()()_

I'm baaaa-aaaack! School started again, but I'm finding time when I can! So to start off this AN, I wanted to thank all my reviews, alerters, and favoriters for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting this story. Yay to all of you!

Okay...so I know I've been saying (for quite awhile now) that this story is getting close to ending. Well...that's still true. But with the way things are going, it doesn't look like it, does it? I know. And I suppose now is as good a time as any to let you guys know:

I hate happy endings.

Well, let me reword that. I hate _endings. _Like, endings that suggest that everything you just read is all that will ever happen in these characters' lives. As in, yay, they lived happily ever after (nothing exciting will ever happen to them again!)! I hate those kind of endings. I love realistic endings. Endings that show not just character development, but continuous character progression and strength. So things didn't turn out how they expected 40 chapters ago? What a shame. Because life is fair? HA! ...HAHAHA don't make me laugh (though I suppose I just did). Life is not a fairytale and people are not fairytale characters, and I don't intend to write a fairytale with fairytale characters.

Those of you who have stuck with me these last few years (and even the newcomers) know that I never settle for anything easy with plot and character outcomes.

This is not to say that you guys will not like the "ending" I have in store. Some of the very best stories left the last word as an open ending. And you know what? Those are the stories you remember most. Because your brain continuously thinks about all the _what ifs. _And I love stories that haunt my dreams and daily life.

With all this being said, I hope I didn't scare anyone away. Oh, and some of you still seem concerned that this could potentially turn into a pregnancy story. No, this is still not the case. They're not being as careful as they could be, but they're not being completely careless (which, I suppose, doesn't necessarily matter when it comes to pregnancy, but for the sake of this story, they're safe).

Hmm...anything else? Oh! So some of you were asking for Bori love moments again, so...here it is! I guess. I wonder if that's why I lost some reviewers the last few chapters? Because there was "no" Bori? Well...I never intended this story to be a fluff story. This is a story about so much more, as I'm sure many of you know, so I won't go too far into that.

Anyway, I'll try my best to get the next chapter out soon. Thanks once again to everyone!

_~Enula_


	40. My Clarity

"_**Find what you love and let it kill you." ~ Charles Bukowski**_

**Final Project**

**XXXIX.**

Andre threw his small duffle bag onto the rock hard bed that was placed in the tiny motel room. Scrambling through it, he tried to find something comfortable to sleep in. He had one of the motel towels wrapped around his waist after having taken the worst shower of his life. If the motel wouldn't have been so cheap to begin with, he would have immediately gone to the front desk and complained.

Alas, it was two in the morning and he just wanted to get some sleep. He had been driving for about six hours before he decided to take a rest. He still had a long drive ahead of him (driving from California to Florida was no joke) and didn't want to risk driving past this rundown motel in case there wasn't another one for miles.

After having just found a plain white tee to wear to bed, he jumped when his phone began ringing from the windowsill—because the motel was too cheap to have even a bedside table.

"Who calls at two AM?" He mumbled to himself, then thought it was probably his grandmother who was no doubt freaking out about that odd stain in the carpet that she thought was a sign of extraterrestrial life.

But when he picked up his phone, he was shocked to see that the call was from Tori. Seeing her smiling face come up on the screen was enough to make him want to flush his phone down that overly stained and rusted toilet in the tiny spider infested bathroom.

Unfortunately, he couldn't really afford to get another phone right now, so he would just have to stick with setting it back on the windowsill and walking away.

The phone stopped ringing. And this was when a million terrible thoughts began racing through his mind.

_Why is she calling me at this time? Is something wrong? Did she get into a car accident? Did her dad get shot on the job? Did she…want to beg for me back?_

This last consideration really made him hate himself. Why couldn't he just let it go already!?

Just when he was about to toss on his shirt, his phone began ringing again. He rushed to the window to see it was Tori again.

_Would she really be calling me twice if something wasn't right…?_

His head told him to ignore it again, but his heart was too heavy and full of worry and curiosity to let it go.

So, with slight hatred toward his very being, he pressed accept and put the phone gently to his ear.

"Hello," he said as dryly as he could.

"Andre?" Her voice questioned in his ear. He could hear the surprise in her voice. He wondered why she even tried calling if she was so certain he wouldn't answer.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, only to stand right back up to pace the room, "What do you want?"

"I…I'm sorry if I woke you, I just…just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"You do realize it's two in the morning?"

She sighed softly and he pictured her tugging at the ends of her hair, "I know. I couldn't sleep and…and things don't seem to be going very well at the moment and I didn't know who else to talk to and—."

Though Andre didn't cut her off, she stopped very abruptly. So abruptly, in fact, that he thought they got disconnected. But when he looked at his screen, he saw that she was still on the line.

"Why can't you talk to Beck?" Andre asked with a sort of distaste in his mouth and voice.

"I did, but…nothing got resolved. I think. I mean, I don't think. I know…I think."

_Okay, she's rambling…must mean she really is distressed._

"I really don't think I'm the right one you should be talking to. It seems a bit—."

"So I'm supposed to be going to New York for college, right?" Tori cut him off quickly, "Well, Beck tried to get into the same college, but he got denied, so now we're like…'what do we do?' So, of course, he suggested that he just move there anyway. But that would be cutting his dreams short. I mean, really, what would he do there, then? Get a minimum wage job in the most expensive state in the country? But he said he doesn't care, he just wants to be where I am, and I know you really don't want to hear something like that right now, but it's true, and I'm torn, because it's too idealistic and is that bad that I'm saying that I'd rather him try to do his own thing that's more worthwhile than just going where I am? And on top of that, my mom's cheating on my dad and I don't know what to do."

Andre heard her heavy breathing. He almost didn't comprehend the huge revelation she added in at the end, because it was so off topic. Holly was cheating on David? Man, those Vega women…

He considered hanging up. He truly did, and he even felt his thumb brush over the _end call _button. He now knew there was nothing life threatening going on, so why was he still on the line with her?

"Just let Beck do what he wants to do. If he really wants to throw his life away to be with you, then let him," he realized, after he said it, that it sounded way harsher than he originally intended, but it happy with the result of it, regardless.

Tori didn't miss the harsh tone in his voice, "But what if he ends up hating me for it…?"

Andre subconsciously walked into the bathroom and looked at himself in the smudgy mirror. He wondered why he saw fear in his own eyes, "If he ends up hating you, then he never loved you in the first place."

She was silent for a long moment, "Do _you _hate me, Andre?"

"I'm hanging up now," he said, then wished he wouldn't have voiced it and instead just done it.

"No, wait!" Tori yelled desperately, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. I'm just…confused right now."

_You wouldn't be confused if you didn't make such poor decisions. You wouldn't be confused if you just stuck with what makes sense in your life. You wouldn't be confused if we were still together…_

"I don't…I don't know what else to say," he confessed.

Andre heard her swallow hard before her voice came again, wavering yet courageous, "I regret the way things turned out for us, Andre. I did some stupid things, and all because…" she drifted off and he desperately wanted her to give her reason, but he wasn't about to urge her on. He hated himself for not doing it, however, because she never finished her thought, "I know that you don't like me very much right now…but do you think that one day—maybe—you could forgive me?"

He closed his eyes and turned away from the mirror. He couldn't stand looking at himself when all he wanted was for Tori to be looking back at him.

"…Maybe one day." It was simple. It was short, but he heard her let out the most beautiful and relieved laugh that could have also been a sob.

"I really hope you find everything you're looking for in life, Andre," she told him and he couldn't think of a time when she sounded more magnificent, "I'll be listening for you on the radio. Thanks for talking to me…goodbye, Andre."

Andre sat down heavily on the bed with his eyes completely unfocused, "Goodbye, Tori…"

And before he could even consider saying anything else, the line went deathly silent.

* * *

><p>Tori tapped her phone in her palm roughly. When she first called Andre, she didn't think she'd get as many things settled as she did. Not only did he give her blunt and excellent advice, he somehow gave her more closure. At least…it was better than what she did have with him. It was a promise for the future and God knew she needed that…<p>

She paced outside Beck's RV for a few more moments. She knew she should try to get some sleep soon, but it was such a nice night for thinking about everything.

She thought back to earlier in the night…

* * *

><p>"<em>Beck? What's wrong?" she had asked, clearly seeing disappointment in his eyes when he turned around with that damn piece of paper in his hand.<em>

_He sighed and answered simply, "I didn't get in…"_

_He didn't have to explain any further. She knew what he meant._

_Shocked, still, she wrung her hands together as she slumped against the side of the doorway, "So what's gonna happen now?"_

_Running a hand through his hair, he looked around everywhere but at her, "I don't know, I guess…I guess we'll just move to New York and hope I find something fairly quick."_

_Her eyes widened, "You mean you're not going to go to college?"_

_He chuckled with an ironic inflection and shrugged, "College isn't everything, right? Besides, New York is the state of opportunities."_

_Tori stood up straight and crossed her arms, "Yeah, for musicians maybe. Which you're not."_

"_There's always Broadway."_

_Tori accidentally rolled her eyes, but this did not get past Beck, "What? You think that's too farfetched for me or something?"_

_Taken aback that he got so offended, she put an edge in her own voice, "You know that's not it. It just sounded so cliché. You know how many people try to get into Broadway?"_

"_Tori, I'm trying to think of something…_anything _that will help _us _out! You need to have more faith."_

_Wanting to say more, but not wanting to fight, she simply dropped her arms to her sides, "You're right, I'm sorry. I just think you'd have a better chance at getting a good acting job here…in Hollywood."_

_Sighing loudly, he turned away._

* * *

><p>Tori groaned lowly and sat down on the RV's steps. The next few hours were them <em>discussing <em>about what would be best (and she reconsiders using _discussing _as the appropriate term since it seemed like they were actually _arguing _at times).

And she knew that he knew they were arguing, as well…

* * *

><p>"<em>Why are you arguing with me on this? This is starting to remind me of all the "conversations"—he used finger quotations while pronouncing the word—Jade and I had…"<em>

_Tori was taken aback by this, "Are you seriously comparing me to _Jade? _Cause last time I studied you guys, she was always trying to _force _you to do something, not ask you to consider what's best for you!"_

_Beck waved his hand, "You're right, you're right, I'm sorry. It was just the arguing—."_

"_Well, I sure hope you don't compare me to Jade every time we have an argument," Tori said, feeling truly upset that her boyfriend was comparing her to his ex-girlfriend whom he said not-so-nice things about._

"_Okay, I'm sorry," Beck said sternly, wanting her to drop it. He laid back on his bed with a slump of defeat, "I wish you'd just accept that I'm moving to New York, though."_

_She walked to the side of the bed and looked down at him, "I just don't want you to do something you'll regret later on…"_

_He sat up and placed his feet on the floor, pulling her close to him. He placed his hands firmly on her hips as he looked up at her, "Sweetie, the only thing I regret is letting you get away two years ago. Don't make me regret letting you get away again."_

_Despite the situation, she smiled down softly at him, "Just because we won't be physically together, doesn't mean you're letting me get away…"_

"_Yeah, but…a lot can happen in a few years when people aren't together…"_

_Tori ran a delicate finger down the side of his cheek as she saw the conviction in his eyes, "You really think we're so fragile…?"_

_His grip tightened on her wait as he pulled her closer, "I honestly don't want to find out…"_

* * *

><p>Tori hid her face in her hands before uncovering her eyes and staring down at the gravel beneath the RV. She knew it was normal for couples to feel this way…this scared-ness that comes with being separated by so many miles. But she truly didn't want Beck making this kind of decision just because he was afraid that they could potentially grow apart. They wanted to be famous, right? Well…what were they going to do if <em>that happens? <em>She'll be on tour and he'll be off filming movies…do they honestly think they'll have time to see each other _then? _

Maybe Beck not getting accepted was a sign to find out about the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship now before it got even further down the road…

But what if they truly are meant to stay together and they're both supposed to find their calling in New York? Tori thought back to one of their first nights in Japan…

* * *

><p><em>Beck asked her: "Can I ask you a question?"<em>

_Tori smiled playfully, "Does the one you just asked count?"_

_Beck smirked a little at her, but shook his head, "And even though it's gonna sound a bit rhetorical, I really want an answer."_

_Tori tried to keep her smile, but the way he talked was beginning to make her a little nervous. She felt her stomach tighten as she nodded._

_Beck looked around quickly, wondering if Shiori came back around them yet. He still didn't see her, and was hoping he wouldn't get interrupted once he started: "Would you rather do something with the possibility of regretting it later…or regret never doing it at all?"_

_Tori's eyes averted directly into his as she realized that that was probably a question she would have never expected to get asked. She pushed a small strand of hair behind her ear, "Don't you know that regretting something is like—."_

_"Is like not living at all, yeah, I know the phrase," Beck finished for her, "But I think everyone regrets something sometime or another. I'm just asking you which one sounds more…bearable."_

_Tori looked away from him. _What exactly is he trying to get at? Why is he even asking me this? And why is he insisting on an answer?_ She glanced back at him, seeing that he was still waiting for a response. She looked away again. _This is way too nerve-wrecking…is this about last night? Should I just tell him that I was awake and apologize for acting like I wasn't?_ She felt him step closer to her. _Why does he care about what I regret! I regret nothing! Nothing! Everything that has ever happened has been for the best and for a reason…

_"Tori…?" He was watching her inwardly argue with herself and wanted to know what she was thinking._

_She answered quickly, almost snapping, "I would rather just regret never doing it. Because if everything is fine with my life as it is, then I must have made some sort of right decision in the past. No harm done."_

_He looked completely taken aback by her answer, "So you mean to tell me that you'd rather wonder what could have happened over finding out and saying at least you tried?"_

_Tori's face felt so tight, that she was sure she looked emotionless, "Exactly."_

* * *

><p>Tori stood up from the steps and quietly made her way back inside. But when she shut the door, she could see Beck's silhouette sitting up on his bed in the dark.<p>

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she whispered, even though there was hardly a reason to.

"I was never asleep," Beck confessed, causing Tori to blush because she knew he was probably watching and listening to her the whole time then.

She stepped slowly into the RV.

"Is everything okay, Tori?" he asked with such gentleness and tortured curiosity that it made her heart beat wildly.

"Yeah. I mean…I don't know," she said with much regret, because they just got done discussing all this not too long ago.

Beck waited for to get closer to the bed before reaching his hand out, "Come here," he urged, glad when Tori placed her hand in his with no hesitation. He pulled as she pushed herself into him and they molded together.

* * *

><p><em>And when she slowly pulled away, their hot lips sticking together for an extra second, Beck couldn't believe himself when he said: "I think that's as far as we should go tonight."<em>

_She looked at him in confusion and shock, "Why? Did I do something wrong?"_

_He laughed softly at her concern, staring deep into her dark eyes, "Tori, you didn't do anything wrong…you're perfect. I just…don't want our first time to be tainted."_

_She looked even more confused, "Tainted?"_

_Beck breathed in a shaky breath, "If we're gonna be together…we have plenty of time for this. But maybe we should settle a few things first before we…"_

_Though he still saw some disappointment written on her face, there was also some relief. She laughed softly, "I thought guys were the ones that just went with it and girls were the ones that worried about that stuff."_

_Beck gave a small smirk, "Yeah, well, some guys are stupid. But I don't want to be stupid with you, Tor. I want this to last and…I don't want you to hate me."_

_"I could never hate you!" She responded very quickly, fear now in her eyes at the fact that he would even think that._

_He rolled off of her, not being able to think completely straight when he just kept feeling her heat calling to him, "Good. Then please understand why I think we should stop…"_

* * *

><p>Tainted.<p>

Is that what their relationship was? They waited that night. And the next night. And the next. But then they finally had to give in, and everything started to make sense in a nonsensical way ever since.

"_I don't want you to end up hating me…" she says._

"_I could never hate you!" he counters._

"_Then please understand why I think this is best."_

They were kissing and it was like the first time. They could feel their hearts drumming against each other's and they both knew they were choosing each other forever, no matter what they were going to have to live with tomorrow.

They stripped each other bare and the past month came flooding back, haunting them and pleading them.

_High dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life_

_Fight fear for the selfish pain, it was worth it every time_

_Hold still right before we crash 'cause we both know how this ends_

_A clock ticks 'til it breaks your glass and I drown in you again_

If something is the right thing, but it happened at the wrong time, does that truly have to turn it into the wrong thing? If they didn't take that huge chance while they were in Japan, would _they _have ever happened? Would they always go on wondering their _what if_'s with their unanswered _why_'s and their hidden regrets?

As Beck sunk into her, he placed a hand on the back of her head, gasping when she pressed herself onto him, her own delicate hands holding his face, her eyes searching his own.

"I love you, Tori," he expressed clearly before another gasp, "I love you so much, and I don't want to lose—," he folded in his lips and leaned his head back against his wall as his body continued to respond to her appropriately, despite the wet trail he felt slipping down his face.

_'Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need_

_Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why_

"Beck, please don't…" Tori started but then stopped. Their bodies stopped as well, and there was nothing but their solid oneness that kept them alive.

He opened his eyes and felt his heart shatter at the sadness he saw. They were together…life shouldn't be this hard anymore. None of their friends approved; they did things all wrong; they _should _have waited, but there's no better time than _now _and _now _already happened.

What else could all that time in Japan be for if not for this moment? If Japan didn't happen, they would have never gotten the chance to be together, and now that they have that chance in their grasp, letting it go seemed wrong.

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_

_If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_

They tried to stop it before, but it never worked.

"Let me be with you," Beck said deeply, his eyes glazing over as he watched her tilt her head back in frustration and uncertainty and want and purity and passion and devotion. He pressed his lips top her chest, sliding his way up until his face was buried in her neck, his voice vibrating against her skin, "Let me be the selfish one…"

Moaning, Tori rolled her head to the side as she tightened her grip around his body, "You're killing me…"

With his body penetrating hers, he knew her words were not regretful ones…

_Walk on through a red parade and refuse to make amends_

_It cuts deep through our ground and makes us forget all common sense_

_Don't speak as I try to leave 'cause we both know what we'll choose_

_If you pull then I'll push too deep and I'll fall right back to you_

Long into the night, as the sun was just beginning to come over the horizon and as Beck breathed deeply in sleep, Tori stayed up to write a letter.

Staying here longer with him was only going to make her decision all the harder. She truly hated herself for what she planned to do, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew that she would much rather hate herself than have Beck hate her. The rest of her friends already did. And though she knew Beck would hate seeing her gone when he woke up, she knew in her heart that he'll understand one day.

It wasn't like she didn't want him to come to New York with her…quite the contrary. After all, it's not like she knew anyone there and it would be really great to have at least one person she knew in New York.

It was so hard to explain that her brain felt like it was melting down. She simply knew in her heart that this was right, and she wondered if she was making the first adult decision of her life. And if she was, she wished she never grew up.

When she found one of Beck's notebooks and a pen, she pressed the inked tip to the white paper. Her mind wandered all the way back to before they left for Japan. Something Beck said to Jade really stood out for her in this moment…

* * *

><p><em>"Her switching is not going to fix everything. If anything, it's only going to make it worse. When I'm paired up with someone new, all I'm going to think about the whole time is how you forced Tori to switch because she's <em>such_ a nice person, that she doesn't want to see even someone like you upset. Well guess what, Jade, high school ends soon! Who knows where we're going to end up afterward. Are you gonna plant a tracking device on me so you know where I'm at and who I'm with every second we're apart? That is _not _how I want to be in a relationship."_

* * *

><p>High school was now officially over. Who knew where they were going to end up, but she really felt like there was nothing in New York for Beck except for herself. And she couldn't risk watching someone so talented being reduced to a nobody living in The City that Never Sleeps.<p>

She couldn't have been happier that she finally got the chance to be with him, and she prayed that one day they will be able to meet up again. She wasn't breaking up with him, but she wasn't holding him back.

There was really no way to say all this, so in the end, the eight words she wrote down would have to suffice.

_I love you. Don't follow me. Not now._

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

And that was all she wrote. Or I wrote. Either way.

I'm sorry that I didn't get this one out sooner…I said I wanted to try to finish this story two years from the date I started, but homework kinda got in the way.

I don't own the song "Clarity" by Zedd.

I'm gonna answer a few reviews that were given for the last chapter:

A guest reviewer let me know that it's time for this story to end, despite what I said about hating endings. I agree 100%; you may have misunderstood what I was trying to say. I hate endings _with a finality. _I don't like it when reader's walk away from a story saying, "That was satisfying. Everything has been answered and I can now move on with my life." No. Just…no. I love it when reader's say, "Oh man, there is still so much left unanswered. What's going to happen to them!? This is going to haunt me forever." That to me is pure awesomeness.

Others asked for another Tandre conversation. Hope this worked out well for you!

Another guest reviewer asked why Beck doesn't say "I love you" as much to Tori as she does to him. I guess it's just how I see him…he speaks louder through actions than words.

And of course, there were many of you who became frightened over how I would end this. So this is about the time I ask:

Who would like me to write an epilogue?

But I know most, if not all, of you will say that you do, so I'm just gonna say that while, yes, this is THEE LAST CHAPTER, there will be an epilogue. My heart feels like it's confused over the thought of ending this story…I can't tell if I'm relieved or shattered. This story's been my best friend and worst enemy for the past two years as I struggled with writer's block and rejoiced in writing what I truly enjoyed.

I'm super proud of myself for getting so far with this story, because in the past, I always somehow broke away from it after a certain amount of chapters (It's hard for me to get past 10 chapters for whatever reason). I guess it's because I become interested in other things or whatnot, but somehow, Victorious really got under my skin and stayed there.

A lot of you are asking for a sequel. A Tandre spinoff of sorts. While I would LOVE to do this, I'm a bit uncertain, because I see the popularity in this fandom shrinking more and more as time passes. I'm not sure if I want to add to a dying breed or try my hardest to keep it alive…still let me know what you think.

I've discovered a lot about myself through writing this. Mainly, that I can cause myself to switch ships multiple times through allowing myself to live through the characters. I'm still terribly torn between the whole Bori vs. Tandre thing, and I'm not sure if it's because of the show or because of how I wrote them and how many of you responded to that.

So to end this long ass author's note, I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, favoriters, and followers. All of you truly are the reason I was able to keep writing and finish such a long story. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it, and I will forever remember the day I sat down to begin writing this story, not even imagining how popular it would eventually become.

All of you are perfectly awesome.

_~Enula_

"_Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual." ~Ernest Hemingway_


	41. Epilogue

**Final Project**

**Epilogue**

Tori walked into her favorite coffee place in the area she lived, called _Think, Thought, Did Coffee (_or _Double-TDC_ as many of the locals called it), and sat down at her favorite table near the window.

"The usual, Tori?" an older man, the barista, yelled from behind the counter.

She smiled over at the man, Allen, as she worked on getting her brown denim jacket off, along with her black and grey fashion scarf, "You know it!"

"Coming right up!"

Reaching into her shoulder bag, Tori pulled out her laptop and gently set it on the table in front of her. She was so excited for this moment that she was sure something bad was bound to happen. She couldn't risk being too rough with her laptop in fear that her webcam would go bonkers.

Opening up the video tab, she very eagerly pressed the call button next to the name she's being dying to talk to for quite some time.

And she couldn't stop the ridiculously large smile that pulled at her lips when she saw the face of one of her greatest friends.

"Tori-chan!"

"Shiori! How have you been?"

"Girl, it's been pretty much the same with me! Let's talk about you! How are you liking New York? How long has it been since you've been there now? How's college going? Are you making a lot of new friends? Where—."

"Whoa!" Tori held up her hand to stop Shiori from continuing to ramble. Both girls giggled for a moment, and Tori shook her head, "I can only answer one question at a time."

"Well, if you would have given me decent answers in your e-mails, I wouldn't have to ask so many at once!" Shiori pointed out. Tori watched as Shiori picked up her laptop and carried it over to her bed. Laying down on her stomach, Shiori rested her chin on her fists as her feet swayed in the air.

Tori nodded her head to the side in agreement, "Yeah, but I wanted to make sure we had a lot to talk about when we finally set up this face-to-fact chat." Tori's coffee was sat down on the table, so she gave a quick thank you to the waiter.

"You better start talking then!" Shiori warned in a mock-threatening tone, "You've kept me in the dark _way _to long."

Taking a short sip of her coffee, Tori licked her lips, "Okay…well, I've been in New York for about five months now. I came here in June just to get settled in, get a feel of a brand new place before I started school."

Shiori nodded vigorously, "Fair enough. Bet you didn't have an awesome tour guide like you did when you were in Japan, ne?" She winked.

Chuckling, Tori shook her head, "Definitely not. People are very competitive here. It seems like a lot of them have the "I'm not here to make friends, but to succeed" motto. But whatever, 'cause there are a few nice ones."

"So you at least have a few people to talk to?" Shiori questioned, obviously concerned about her.

Tori took another sip of her coffee, "Yeah. I'm pretty close with this girl named Lana and her brother, Jake."

"Is he cute?" was Shiori's first question, making them both laugh.

"He is, but he wouldn't be interested in people like us, if you know what I mean," Tori motioned to her body and Shiori got it right away.

"Awesome…" Shiori considered asking Tori about Beck now, but was kind of frightened since Tori had yet to mention him. She decided to try to go around the subject first, "And you still talk to your old friends sometimes? How's Kitty-Cat?"

"She's good!" Tori brightened as she reached for her phone. She scrolled through a few pictures until she found the one she wanted, turning the screen toward her computer screen, "Cat met up with this girl named Sam and they started their own baby-sitting business or something…"

Shiori looked hard at the picture of the red-head and blonde with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, "Is that the Sam from iCarly?"

Tori put her phone down, "Oh, you knew about that show?"

"Definitely! I remember the time they came to Japan to win some sort of comedy award…they've been a hit ever since. Until Carly left somewhere…"

"Italy, I think," Tori finished.

"Right. And…what about everyone else?"

"Robbie actually got to be in a few movies…just as a minor, really. But he started his own web series. Honestly, I never watched it, but I guess he's trying to save up a lot of money so he can buy Cat a wedding ring."

Shiori looked intrigued, "He told you that?"

Tori smirked, "Nah, just an assumption."

Rolling her eyes, Shiori mumbled a "_bakana…" _before twisting herself around to sit with her legs crossed on her bed, "Go on."

"Um…well, Cat told me that Jade went back to England. Guess she had some self-discovery to do there. Not sure what else she's up to there. Andre's still in Florida making a record."

"Uh-huh…" Shiori urged on, really hoping that Tori would just get to the one person that she truly wanted to hear about.

And Tori could sense this. So, taking another slow sip from her coffee, she then lowered the coffee, her eyes, and her voice, "I haven't talked to Beck in five months."

_"Nani?!" _Shiori yelled loudly, _"Iie, dame desu!" _

Tori stared wide-eyed at how obviously upset Shiori was. She didn't even seem to register that she was yelling at her in Japanese.

But instead of translating herself, Shiori simply got close to the screen, her eyes narrowed and strict, "Explain. Now."

Pushing her hair timidly behind her ear, Tori was having a hard time looking into Shiori's eyes, "Well…you see, he didn't get accepted into my college, so…I left and he stayed."

Shiori shook her head, "No excuse, Tori-chan! That does _not _explain why you haven't at least _talked _to him! You guys were so close here…I could see the love you two had for each other! It was _so _real!"

Despite herself, Tori felt a blush heating up her face. It sounded somewhat corny the way she was describing it, though Tori couldn't help but realize how true it all was, "I know, I know…I guess it was just the way I left. He still wanted to come, but I didn't want him to waste his career here, not knowing if he would find anything or not. So I left him a note saying not to follow me and I just…left."

"And he hasn't tried to contact you?" Shiori asked incredulously.

Tori shook her head, "Not that I'm aware."

"And you haven't tried to contact him?"

Tori licked her lips again before biting down gently on the right corner of her bottom lip. This was still a really sensitive subject for her…she could hardly talk about this inside of her own head. When Lana and Jake asked if she had a boyfriend the first time, she felt like it was the hardest question she'd ever been asked. Did she? Didn't she? And it was even worse when she said, "I'm not quite sure…" because this opened up a box of a million different questions. Ones she didn't know how to answer. So she told them she'd talk about it another time.

She never did.

"Tori-chan…?"

Sighing, Tori shook her head, "No…"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm too scared he won't answer! I'm too scared he hates me now and…if he really wanted to talk to me, he would have called me by now," Tori rubbed her forehead roughly. She didn't want to start crying in the middle of the coffee house, and she found, over the past five months, that rubbing her forehead was a magical tear stopper. Weird, but there it was. Everyone had something to stop themselves from crying, right?

"You want to know something?" Shiori asked quietly, slowly, a small twinkle in her eyes.

"What?" Tori said dully.

"The reason he hasn't called you yet is the same as everything you just told me."

Tori did a quick double take at her computer screen, feeling her heart soar when she saw the smile and the knowledge in Shiori's eyes. _Could that be true? Could it be _that _simple?_

Of course…nothing about this situation could be labeled as _simple…_

Yet Shiori's reasoning was so…_simple! _And believable. They always say that you're not alone in your fears.

"You really think so…?" Tori asked, almost as a whisper.

Shiori continued to smile as she shifted her body on her bed again, this time straightening her legs out and leaning back on her elbows, "Tori-chan, if you guys are _at all _the same as you were when you were here half a year ago…then I _know _so. You guys faced a lot when you were here. You had to come to the realization that you were meant for each other, even when you were both with someone else. You had to see that all those years you guys were friends were merely minutes building up to the place you were meant to be. You guys had …what's the English word for it…_appetence."_

Tori blinked a few times, "Appa-wha?"

Shiori giggled, "Ah, the benefits of learning a language that's not your first. You learn words a lot of people in the language don't know," she still took a long pause, and Tori thought she was going to have to look the word up, but then Shiori said: "A natural bond. You guys had an understanding about each other that's rare."

This made her think back to the Platinum Music Awards. The awards that basically started everything. Beck was the only one that saw through her performance.

_"How'd you know?" she asked him._

_"Because you're Tori."_

And that was all that needed to be said.

"Thanks for saying all that, Shiori…" Tori gratefully said, "I wish you could be here right now so I can hug you…"

Shiori giggled, "Start saving all your hugs for Beck, Tori-chan! Now I want you to go call him _right now _and tell me all about it later."

"_Now?!" _Tori stressed, suddenly becoming very nervous, "But I'm still talking to you and—."

Shiori got close the screen and blew her a kiss, "_Ja ne, ai-tori!"_

But before Tori could stop her, Shiori ended the chat and Tori was left staring at her wallpaper. Which was the picture Beck took of the two of them during one of their first outings in Japan. She tried to smile, but her lips only ended up turning downward. Oh, how she missed him…every day without him was torture and she was beginning to wish they were both selfish and he ended up coming to New York with her.

The coffee shop always kept the TV on, though Tori usually blocked it out since most visits were to get homework done. But something she heard really caught her attention. A voice, singing, was one all too familiar to her, and when she finally turned around slowly in her chair, she saw a music video.

It was Andre. Scrolling text at the bottom kept showing the same words: "Brand new! "Forever" by Andre Harris! Download it now at the Pear Store!"

_"Stop the world…take a picture. Take a minute…'cause I missed ya…"_

Tori's mouth was hanging open as she watched Andre's very first music video. She jumped up from her seat, wanting to scream to everyone there that she knew that guy! But this was New York, and she knew if she did that, that someone would just tell her that they knew Santa Clause.

_"Till this day…Yeah, I can't believe, you're right in front of my face…"_

"You did it, Andre…" Tori said lowly to herself with a pure smile.

And this finally gave her motivation to make her dream come true as well. She packed up her laptop, put on her jacket and scarf, grabbed her lukewarm coffee, and headed out into the cool New York October air.

She couldn't wait to get back to her place to call Beck. She wished she could do it here, literally _now, _but she needed the privacy of her bedroom for this call…she wasn't sure how emotional it would get.

She waited impatiently to cross the six streets it took her to get from _Double-TDC _to her dorm, and she really wished New York would just freeze until she got to where she needed to be.

"Beck…I'm so sorry…" she started talking aloud as she walked briskly around slow people, trying to come up with something good to say, "It was wrong of me to leave like that…but you never called and—no, don't bring that up."

About time Tori got near campus, she was pretty much out of breath, and she still had three flights of stairs to climb, "I just did what I thought was best, but I know I should have talked to you more about it…"

Tori gulped down a huge portion of her coffee, her throat desperate for any kind of liquid. She knew her dorm was right around the corner and across the street from one of the campus's many theaters, "I never wanted to hurt you…you know I love you too much for—."

Tori never got a chance to finish her sentence. She had made it across the street and was ready to bolt it up the front steps, but her feet slowed and her breathing hitched as she watched a man rise from the steps.

It was apparent he had been sitting there for some time, and that she was the reason he finally had a reason to stand. She blinked a few times unbelievably. This man…with dark hair that cascaded past his shoulders and a mustache right above his lip and eyes that were so dark and penetrating, it was…

"…Beck…?" she questioned delicately, scared that she could be wrong. After all, this guy that stood in front of her looked a lot like her Beck, but he looked so…_grown, _if that was at all the right word.

But when he flashed that smile at her and dug his hands into his jacket pockets, she knew without a doubt.

"Hey, Tori."

Tori let out a strong breath that may have been the beginning of a sob before she dropped her bag and coffee and ran to him. She flung her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist, and when she felt his own arms encircle her excited form, she didn't think she would ever laugh as loud again.

"I'm happy to see you, too," he said in a joking manner, though she could still hear the seriousness in his tone as his voice vibrated in her ear.

She hid her face in his long, fluffy hair for a long moment, feeling her heart beat uncontrollably fast. When she pulled back, she cupped his face in both her hands as she stared into his eyes, "You look so different…"

"And you look exactly the same," he replied, his grasp on her never letting up.

Tori smiled softly at his comment, "I was just running inside. I was getting ready to call you! Beck…what are you doing here?"

He only continued to stare at her for a few moments, his eyes searching her eyes, her face, her soul, "I did what you wanted me to do."

"Wh-what…?" She finally unwrapped her legs from around his waist, and it felt surreal to feel her feet on the ground. Her mind was whirling and it almost felt like she was in a dream.

Beck made sure to keep her close, however, as his arms never left her, "You said you wanted me to achieve my goals, right? Well…"

When he merely trailed off, the mischievous look in his eyes made her smile, "Well…?"

"I saw a role casting for a new show that's coming out soon. So I applied and…" he trailed off again, and Tori swore she was about to have a heart attack from her lack of patience, "I got the lead role."

"Oh my God!" Tori screamed, pulling him in for another death-tightening hug, "That's so awesome!" Hearing him laugh in her hear, and feeling his body move with hers was just as awesome.

"And you want to hear something better?" he asked, smirking at her shocked face when she pulled back again.

"What can be better than _that?!" _

"That it takes place in New York…" he reached up a gentle finger and pushed strands of her hair away from her face, "And it's being filmed here, too."

Tori's face scrunched up as she felt like laughing and crying at the same time. She covered her mouth to try to prevent any unsightly sobbing, "Oh my God, Beck…" she said again, still wondering if this was all a dream, "That's perfect…"

Blinking slowly, Beck took her hand into his and led it away from her mouth. He brought it instead to his own, pressing his lips to the back of her hand, and Tori was sure she never witnessed something so simple turn into something so sensual.

She watched in amazement as his eyes closed for a blissful few seconds before they opened to catch her own, "I followed you."

They both smiled and she propped herself up on her tiptoes as she tilted her head to bring her lips closer to his, "Finally."

And then they kissed, for the first time in forever. And she knew he forgave her for leaving, and she knew the reason he didn't call was because he was busy proving that this could be done.

And it was like the past five months were nothing more than some scratches on a CD. They were back in busy Japan, finally discovering where they were finally meant to be. Come what may, they knew they had each other.

Their project was complete.

...

_La Fin_

...

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And that, my friends is truly the end. I'll say some disclaimers. The "Forever" song and video belongs to Leon Thomas III. "Sam and Cat" and "iCarly" belong to Dan, as does the wonderful series I just wrote a long-ass fanfiction for. And though I didn't mention it by name, the show Beck got picked for was "Twisted" and no, I don't own that, either. And if you were wondering what Shiori said to Tori before she hung up, "ai" means love and "tori" means bird in Japanese, so I just put the two word together. Cute, right? Right...

So I wanted to thank you all once again...since this is literally the last time I'll get to say it. And because all of you were so mature in handling that last chapter, I decided to give you this epilogue, because why not? To me, this wasn't a happy ending; this was more like a happy beginning for them. So yay for Bori! I'm still kind of uncertain whether or not I want to make that Tandre spinoff. I want to focus on other stories I've created and try to finish those first, so who knows.

On my Word document, it shows me that this story turned out to be 296 pages with 132,099 words. I feel so proud. I never wrote such a long story before. And (yes, I'm gonna say it again) it's all because of your wonderful reviews! I'm so glad so many people enjoyed it and see this story as THEE Bori story, I guess you could say. Here's hoping something fun happens in that Victorious movie coming out (haha, yah right).

I really don't know what else to say without repeating what I've already said and crying.

It's been a pleasure writing for all of you. I know I will miss writing this story. A lot. It's been a huge part of me for over two years.

Thank you.

_~Enula_


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